Tonight You're Mine
by all-mirth-no-matter
Summary: Two feuding band members are handcuffed together at the Enchanted Music Festival. Emma Swan, part of a starting rock band, can't stand the egotistical Killian Jones, lead man of the popular group Skull Rock. How will they survive the festival and both perform before they find a way to become free of each other?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Captain Swan AU with bits of Snowing, Frankenwolf, Rumbelle, Outlaw Queen intermingled. This is inspired by the story's namesake (also known as You Instead). The fic follows the movie somewhat closely; obviously, I've taken liberties with some of it. All the lyrics you read that ****_aren't _****real songs (i.e. the two songs that are the band's original) are songs from the movie... only because I'm not creative enough to come up with my own lyrics lol. I also wanted to take this opportunity to say that some of the characters portrayed aren't how I interpret the characters on the show; they are just that way to fit in with the story I'm telling. You might see what I mean later. I hope you all enjoy the story! :)**

**Playlist: ****_You Instead_**** by The Make and the song Emma's band sings whose title I can't remember (both from the movie); ****_Tainted Love_**** by Soft Cell.**

* * *

Screams pulled Killian's attention to the window of the car, smiling when he saw a young girl with the graphic-tee reading "Skull Rock" convulsing with excitement at their sight. The buggy continued down the row of tents, the second day of the Enchanted Music Festival underway.

Skull Rock was one of the main rock line-ups at the festival, the band going on their third year of major exposure and popularity. The twenty-seven year old, Killian Jones, was the lead singer and guitarist for the bad – and definitely the most popular with both the ladies and the tabloids. The press named him the _Captain _of the band, a title he particularly wasn't a fan of. Despite who was in the news more or who was in the front of the stage, they were all equal members of the band. And Killian firmly believed that; those men were his best friends, his family. He knew for a fact he wouldn't be anywhere if it weren't for them, and no matter how many times he might let his ego get the better of him, he'd never put himself ahead of his men. Killian was riding alongside Robin Hood, his bass player, when he started picking on his guitar.

Greg, the car driver, started grinning, knowing that his partner Tamara was catching a real break as she continued recording the boys. She was working on a documentary of the festival, and an acoustic mini-performance from Skull Rock would surely make the film a gem.

"_He got loved up on the seashore_," Killian started, singing in his deep voice with a wide grin on his face. "_Kissing with a girl he never met before. Food was sparse but the drink was plenty. Jack was sixteen and Jill had just turned twenty."_

The fans around them who could hear started screaming when they passed them by, recognizing the familiar song.

"_Lying there on the midnight sand_," Robin joined in, his voice reaching a bit higher, but blending well. "_He said he'd give her the sky if she held his hand."_

"_She counted every star in the sky and said – I, I don't want that. I want you instead_," Killian went on.

Robin joined, harmonizing. "_I, I don't want that. I want you instead."_

"_If you don't rearraaange us – if you don't rearraaange us – if you don't rearraaange us – if you don't rearrange_."

Tamara looked over to Greg as she whispered, "This is good. The office is gonna love this."

"_She counted every star in the sky and said – I, I don't want that. I want you instead. I, I don't want that, I want you instead. If you don't rearrange us – if you don't rearrange us – if you don't rearrange, we won't change._"

Suddenly, the car began to die, coming to a complete stop. "What's going on?" Tamara asked, her camera getting a bit shaky as she tried to keep it on Killian strumming the guitar.

"I don't know," Greg said, "it just… died." He got out and began looking around the car.

"I told you we needed to charge it!"

Robin, laughing at them getting stuck in the middle of the camp grounds, began to get out of the car, noticing they'd stopped next to a group of people dancing. "Come on, mate," he called through the window to Killian.

Greg and Tamara disappeared to go find a way to charge the car.

With a roll of his eyes, Killian finally got out of the car. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy meeting fans and being around people, he just didn't really want to be attacked by grabby hands and screams. He looked around, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose as his eyes adjusted to the light. He began to look around at the people dancing, Robin clapping along a beat for the others to move to. That's when Killian picked up his guitar and started playing just a simple tune, the people around them cheering as they continued to dance.

"Woooo!" they heard a young brunette woman yell as she began spinning around in the middle of the group. Next to her stood a blonde woman with long curls, laughing and clapping along with the beat. The brunette grabbed the blonde's hands and pulled her to the middle. Killian watched the blonde cover her face, laughing so hard she could barely keep her eyes open as she began to twirl around with her friend. He couldn't help but smile as he watched.

The crowd began applauding when Killian finished playing, lowering the guitar to his side.

"Booooo," the brunette protested, running up to Robin and Killian. "What'd you stop playing for? I was just getting my groove on."

Killian shook his head at her silliness. He finally noticed the bright red streaks that ran through her long dark hair blending in to her loud red and black outfit.

The blonde nudged her friend's side and shook her head, scoffing. "What do you expect, Ruby? They only know two chords. These are two of the guys from that one band – Thick Skull, or whatever."

"My, my," Robin fanned, pretending to be insulted, "why lose your venom on us, milady?"

"Don't mind Emma," Ruby said, putting her arm around the blonde's shoulder. "She's just not a fan of boy bands."

Killian's forehead creased, "Oi lass, we aren't a boy band." When Emma only laughed, he turned back to Robin and scoffed. "Some people just can't appreciate good music."

"Oh please," Emma finally said, rolling her eyes, "the only thing you guys play well is the media. Five hot guys wearing leather and eye liner – tabloids eat it up."

Robin and Killian exchanged a look before Killian turned back to Emma, raising his eye brow, "So, you think we're hot?"

Emma scoffed, shaking her head. Ruby giggled at her friend as she skipped over to the guys and leaned against the hood of the car next to Robin. "I do. And now I can tell all my friends about how I rubbed elbows with the great Robin Hood." Robin laughed in appreciation, enjoying the woman's vivacious personality. "Go on, Emma. You have to touch Killian now. It's the only way anyone will believe me."

Killian and Emma looked toward each other, Killian giving her a suggestive smile. "Yeah, go on, _Emma_. Touch me," he gave her a wink.

Emma huffed, rolling her eyes again at the obnoxious singer. She took off her red leather jacket and handed it to Ruby. Killian took a moment to take in her form, a bit surprised at the lost article of clothing. And as she stalked up to him, Killian's mind became clouded with the thought that she was actually going to touch him… and where. She smiled at him – then grabbed his guitar.

"Bloody hell!" he yelled, watching her back up with it. "Be careful with that."

She laughed, "Oh, look at me. I'm holding the great rock god's guitar," she teased, waving the instrument around. "Ahoy mates," she mocked, badly mimicking his accent.

"What the hell am I? A pirate?" Robin and Ruby could only chuckle at their friends. Killian shook his head, then turned to Ruby. "Alright, what's this?" He snatched Emma's jacket out of her hands and held it up. "Oh, and look what I have."

"That's my favorite jacket," Emma protested, "it's lucky."

"Give me back my guitar and you'll get it back," Killian said in a mocking voice, dancing around with the jacket. Emma's eyes narrowed.

He took the jacket and tried to put it on. "Don't!" Emma yelled. "You'll stretch it."

Killian groaned, giving up trying to make it fit. "I guess my muscles are just too big."

Emma laughed at him. "Oh please."

"Are all Americans as rude as you?" Killian complained.

"Like I'm supposed to be impressed with your 'international' band?" Emma scoffed. "Most of you are just English anyway."

Robin's brow furrowed, "What's wrong with English?"

"You have an American, don't you?" Ruby asked. "And then there's that one dude – the one who wears the strange glasses."

Robin chuckled. "Yeah, that's Victor. I think he's German?" he asked Killian, who nodded. "Right, but he sounds English… sometimes."

"Aye, and I'm Irish," Killian said defensively.

Emma smirked, "You sound English to me. But I guess that explains the drinking problem."

Killian frowned. "For someone who hates our band so much, lass, you sure know a lot about us."

"Am I supposed to help it that the press thinks your band is news worthy? I really could care less about what cereal you like to eat in the morning or if you're a boxer or brief guy." Killian smiled mischievously but Emma held up her hand to stop him. "Don't. Now give me back my jacket!"

"Not till you give me back my bloody guitar!"

"_Hello, dearies!" _

The four turned around to face a strange looking man. His outfit was loud, his hair a mess and his skin almost seemed to glow a bright silver. But it was his eccentric grin that caused them all to step back.

"What is all the yelling about? If musicians can't get along, what hope have we got? This is a music festival," he said, his voice rising as he sang out the last word. "An _enchanted _one. Can't you all _feel _the magic that surrounds us? Come on, all of you! Grab each other's hands and form a circle!"

Almost afraid to disobey him, they joined hands, Emma and Killian on both sides of the strange man. He began to hum. Emma peeked open her eyes and looked over at Ruby, who was trying hard not to laugh. Robin had his eyes open, keeping a distrustful eye on the man.

Then he began laughing an impish laugh, loud and boisterous. He lifted Emma and Killian's hands, then joined them together in a clap. After their skin smacked against each other's, the man was gone. Disappeared from sight.

The four gasped and began to look around, but he was nowhere.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked, looking back to everyone.

Killian shook his head. "I don't know but I –" he lifted up his arm and extra weight was there. He looked down and finally noticed the metal biting into his wrist, a handcuff surrounding it. He followed the chain to the other cuff, wrapped around Emma's wrist. "You've got to be bloody joking me."

Emma had felt him yank up her arm and turned to look, noticing the handcuffs. Her eyes widened. "That creep handcuffed us together!" Robin and Ruby looked to each other, then busted out laughing. Emma's mouth hung open as she looked to her friend. "This isn't funny! I'm chained to _this _asshat without any way of getting out!"

"You think you've got it bad?" Killian asked. "I'm locked up with _you_. I'm the one they should feel sorry for, love."

"Don't call me love," she groaned.

_"Emma! Ruby!" _

The four turned around as two young women began to walk up to them, waving. The one on the right was pale with very short, dark black hair. The other had shoulder length blonde hair, a fairy-like smile rest on her face.

"Hey guys!" Ruby greeted, still laughing. "You'll never believe what just happened to us! First, we met Robin Hood and Killian Jones from Skull Rock," she turned to gesture towards the guys. Robin bowed as an introduction. "Guys, this is Tink Bell," she pointed to the blonde, "and Mary Margaret Blanchard," she pointed to the dark haired one. "But we call her Snow after Snow White because of her dark hair and pale skin. Plus, it's so much easier to say than Mary Margaret."

"Hello, Snow, Tink," Robin nodded to each of them. "Please excuse my friend Killian. He's in a bit of a foul demeanor." Killian rolled his eyes. "Some crazy man came up to us and magically handcuffed my friend and your Emma together."

"What?!" Snow asked, her eyes widened as she searched for Emma's wrist.

Tink giggled, "You know, I've been telling Emma she needs to wear more jewelry. You think I could find a rock star chain bracelet anywhere?"

Ruby and Robin couldn't stop laughing, but Snow was still worried. Though that wasn't exactly uncommon for her. Snow usually dealt with the financial and planning part of the group, so she was always worried about something. It drove Emma crazy when they first met back in college, but she'd learned to live with it and appreciate it. Her OCD had saved Emma and the band more than once. Snow looked between the two. "Why do you have a guitar and why does he have your jacket?" Killian and Emma exchanged a look, then objects. "We have to get you out of those; we perform in four hours!"

Killian and Emma voiced their agreement.

Robin finally calmed as he wiped away a few tears from his eyes. "Well, instead of standing around here, let's go to our tent. The boys will get a crack out of this. You're all welcome to come. Maybe someone over there has some cutters or a lock pick."

They started walking towards the Skull Rock grounds; Killian began walking a little faster, pulling Emma along with him. The others followed behind them.

"Ow!" Emma yelled as the metal bit into her skin. She elbowed him. "Can you be aware you are attached to me, unfortunately? Can you just be nice?"

"Me?! You were the one who attacked me the moment we met. I don't even know your name."

She rolled her eyes. "You do, it's Emma."

"Yeah, Emma what? Who's your band?"

"Emma Swan," she answered. "We're the Fairest."

Killian scoffed, "The Fairest? What are you, a bunch of fairy tale princesses?"

She rolled her eyes. "And what are you? A bunch of Neverland lost boys?"

Killian rose his brow, "Oh believe me darling, I'm no _boy_."

Emma scoffed. "Right. Or maybe I should call you the Captain?" He rolled his eyes. "What, you don't like being called the Captain? You could be considered a real pirate with that title - especially with the eye liner, earring, leather, and facial hair. Seriously, do you _ever _shave?"

"Do you ever shut up?" he groaned, scratching the stubble of hairs around his jaw.

They walked for a little longer, both in silence. Until Emma started smirking. "Grumpy ole Captain Hook, savvy?"

Before Killian was able to spin around and explode with frustration, they made it to their tent. The large canopy was set up with tables of food, chairs, and couches. Inside, everyone had on headsets and held clip boards but the three men standing and sitting around the couches. They were the rest of Skull Rock.

"Finally," one of the blonde guys said when the gang walked in. When he noticed the four women, his brow creased. "What'd you do, bring us some groupies?"

"Please," Snow said with a scoff, folding her arms.

The guy looked to Snow, then held out his hand, "David Nolan – and you are?"

She reached out and shook his hand. "Mary Margaret. But I go by Snow." David's brow creased as he looked her over. "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing, I'm sorry. It's just – you don't look like you belong here."

Snow looked to Emma, then back to David. She cleared her throat, trying not to be insulted. "Thank you?"

"I don't mean – you just," he started to stumble over his words. "You look like a school teacher, is all." Snow looked down at her clothing choice: a pair of jeans, a button up, and a sweater. "Not that it looks bad, you look great. You're beautiful – I mean, you're very pretty and I'm sure you're a nice person. I'm sorry."

Snow chuckled, "Well, aren't you a real Prince Charming."

"I'm Tink!" Tink announced, as bubbly as ever. When Emma, Snow, and Ruby were starting the band, the only thing they needed to complete it was a drummer. After a good month of searching, the girls were growing so frustrated with their lack of response that they almost gave up. When Tink walked into their dorm room, it was like everything fell into place. And not just with their music. Her bright and positive personality touched all of them; she taught them how to be more optimistic. Tink turned to the other girls. "This is Ruby and Emma."

By now the other two men stood up. A strange man with more eye liner on than Killian began smiling at the women. "Welcome, ladies. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like. I'm Victor Whale." This was the man Ruby meant when she asked Robin about the guy with the weird glasses. She was referring to the rose-colored glasses he wore when he performed, his signature look. No one was really sure where the look came from, but they didn't question it. In a way, they just sort of _fit _him. He took Ruby's hand in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing it. "I love your hair." Ruby blushed.

"And I'm Will Scarlet," the last man welcomed, "though no one asked."

Robin walked up behind them, a huge grin on his face. "Wait till you hear this, men. Some nutter handcuffed Killian."

"Aye," Killian confirmed, "to some random broad."

"_Emma_," Emma corrected. "I have a name."

Killian rolled his eyes.

Victor and Will began laughing, David simply shook his head. As the oldest member of the group, David was usually the most responsible. He tried his best to keep them out of trouble, but that didn't always work out. Especially when Killian or Robin talked him into drinking with them. Not much in the media was known about his private life – something he preferred. His bandmates weren't exactly the same way.

Will was the closest, though it wasn't exactly from lack of trying. He just didn't really care whether or not the public knew. He'd gotten good at scaring the interviewers away thanks to his sarcastic nature and blunt demeanor. But he kept the band honest, calling out certain members when they were getting a little too full of themselves, something that they all needed from time to time. Especially Killian and Victor. Since he'd joined the band, he hadn't dated anyone and he usually wasn't interested in most of the groupies or other women who tried to throw themselves at the band members. And because of that, he gained a reputation among the press as being heartless.

"This is definitely the funniest thing I've seen all week," Victor said between breaths. "Apart from the chicken lady, but she was ill. You can't laugh."

_"What's going on?" _

They all turned to face a very professional looking woman. It was strange for her to be dressed in a business suit, especially for this festival. She was a few years older than the band members, and she had a stern look. She was tapping her heel, waiting for someone to answer.

Killian sighed. "We have a situation, Ms. Mills." He held up his arm, Emma's arm rising with it. "We don't have the key."

Her eyes widened, "How the –" then she shook her head. "Of course. Only _you_ would do something stupid enough like this, Mr. Jones. Well, you or Mr. Scarlet."

"Oi!" Will said, insulted.

Regina approached Emma, "Your name?"

"Emma Swan," Emma answered immediately, completely intimidated by the woman. "This is my band, the Fairest."

Regina sized her up slightly, and Emma almost made a comment – until Regina smiled. She looked between Emma and Killian. "Hold on, you two. I'll make some calls and try to find out who's been handcuffing people. There's gotta be someone at this damn festival with bolt cutters." She turned to the girls. "Ladies, please enjoy some of the refreshments. Don't get my boys in trouble, and don't let them get you in any." And then she left the tent.

"Manager?" Snow asked. David nodded. "She's kind of intense."

"Will calls her the Evil Queen," he said with a chuckle. "But only because she's the hardest on him; he pisses off the press the most. Regina's a great manager, though. She takes care of us."

Emma groaned, "Well hopefully she can take care of _this_."

"You're telling me," Killian scoffed.

Snow nodded, "Yeah, especially before we go on. Otherwise we'll have a disaster."

David smiled at her, "Have faith."

Gradually, they all moved to the couches – each of them sipping on the complimentary beer.

"So what kind of music do you girls play?" Victor asked, sitting next to Will and Ruby.

Snow and Tink sat together on another couch, David and Robin on a third, while Killian and Emma on a very uncomfortable smaller couch.

"Rock," Tink answered. "We write most of our songs, but we end up playing some covers from older rock bands. That way our audience can sing along."

Will snickered, "You're a girl rock band? What, like the Spice Girls?"

"Dude, they were pop," David corrected.

Killian chuckled, "But if you _had _to be the Spice Girls, which would you be?"

They all laughed, looking to each other, seeing who the first to answer would be.

Victor raised his cup, "Definitely Posh Spice. I could rock that itty bitty dress and those heels."

"Tink would totally be Baby Spice," Emma said with a giggle.

Will tilted his drink to Victor, "I don't know about you all, but that Ginger Spice lass was a babe. I think I could match Vic's black dress with that union flag one. See who has the better bod?"

"You're on. Killian, what about you?" Victor asked, patting his shoulder.

Emma scoffed, "Scary Spice, for sure."

The group burst in laughs, even Killian couldn't help his smile.

Ruby jumped in her seat, "Oh, I would definitely be Scary Spice. She was fierce," Ruby clawed the air dramatically. "What about you, David?"

He started to think, "Mm, Sporty."

"Let's see your high kick," Snow teased. "I think I'd be Baby Spice as well."

Robin rose his brow, "I think I would go with Ginger Spice like Will. She had a sense of sophisticated-ness about her."

"And you think that's you, mate?" Will teased. Robin threw a pillow at him.

"Emma?" Ruby asked. "Come on."

Emma shrugged. "No idea. I think Jones should pick mine, since I picked his."

The group _ooo_'d in unison. Killian sized up Emma. "Definitely Posh. She always seemed like she had some stick up her arse." Emma smacked his arm, but the group only laughed. She huffed, then stood up. Killian spilled the beer in his hand at the sudden jerk. "Where the bloody hell are you going?"

"To get these damn cuffs off," Emma said. "Your manager is taking too long."

"Ohhh, come back Emma!" Ruby called. "Don't be such a spoil sport!"

She rolled her eyes as they left the tent. Emma turned to Killian who looked amused. "Don't tell me you're starting to enjoy being handcuffed to me, Jones."

"Don't flatter yourself, Swan. I want to get loose just as badly as you do."

"Alright then. Let's find out how."

They searched through the chaos of the festival. There were four main stages – two small, two medium, and the large main stage. Each of the stages were named after something fairytale or mythology-like, to keep up with the Enchanted theme. The main arena was deemed The Castle. The festival also had rides including a farris wheel and other carnival like attractions with booths set up for different drinks and food. There was a main building, near the professional's camp tents that had bathrooms and showers. Between all the _stuff _were thousands of tents both brought and rented by the guests and smaller performers.

In their search, they found a security guy named Graham who was willing to help them. The only thing he could find was a wood chisel and a hammer. Unfortunately, it didn't work. He apologized and promised to try to find something else and get back to them.

So they looked for someone who could pick a lock. Five people tried – five people failed.

They ended back near the Skull Rock tent after finding a screw driver. Killian was attempting to take it apart to no avail.

"It's too big," Killian groaned, "I can't get it in."

Emma rose an eye brow, "Not normally a problem you have, huh Jones?"

_"Killian?_"

He spun around and Emma saw a leggy brunette standing in front of them.

She crossed her arms. "Don't tell me this isn't what it looks like."

"What does it look like?" Killian asked.

Emma groaned, recognizing the jealous tone of a girlfriend when she heard it. _Oh no._

"Like you're handcuffed to some girl," the woman answered, sizing up Emma.

Killian walked towards her, dragging Emma with him. "Some bloody psycho handcuffed us together while we were looking for magic - I don't know." The woman didn't look amused. "Look, Milah, I didn't _try_ to get stuck with her."

"Hi, I'm Emma," Emma introduced, "I'm the _her_." Emma recognized who she was after Killian said her name. Milah was a famous model from London, her relationship with the rock star put them at one of the hottest celebrity couples in the tabloids. Especially since they always seemed to be on and off – the kind of drama the press loved.

Milah looked between them, then grabbed him by the vest and started to pull. "You're coming with me, mister."

Killian dragged behind her, pulling Emma along. "Ow! Baby, wait."

She spun around, more frustrated that Emma was still there. "Hello again," Emma said sarcastically.

"Ok, get these off right now."

"We're trying."

"Well, where's the key?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "If we had a key, do you _really _think we would still be cuffed together?"

Milah narrowed her eyes. "Who is this?" she asked Killian.

"Em-ma," the blonde repeated, frustrated that she kept getting ignored.

He groaned, "She's a total stranger. She is incredibly awful. She –"

"_She _is standing right here, you jackass!" Emma yelled.

Milah began to walk away. Killian called after her, "Milah, wait! Where are you gonna be?"

She stopped, "The Make are about to play at the Castle. Call me when you're single." And with that, she left.

"Nice girl," Emma said sarcastically, rubbing her wrist from all the pulling around. "She's that pissed at you because of this?"

Killian groaned before taking a deep breath. "No, she's been mad at me for a while now. Being on tour does that. She just won't talk to me. It's so," he sighed, "bloody infuriating, that's what it is." He turned to look at Emma. "You got a mate, Swan? The security bloke earlier took a shine to you, d'you notice?"

Emma smirked, "I've got a lot of mates. No boyfriend though."

"That's surprising – what with your lovable nature and all." Emma smacked him in the stomach. "_Oft_\- I was kidding! Mostly."

_"Emma?_"

Killian felt Emma tense up beside him. She turned around to look at the man standing across the way, her mouth dropping. "Speaking of a devil," Emma whispered, still staring at the man. "Neal?"

Neal began to walk over to them. Killian leaned down toward Emma, "Who is it, Swan?"

"An ex – just an ex."

Killian looked at Emma closely. _You okay? _he asked with an expression.

She nodded, answering his message.

"Emma!" Neal greeted, pulling her in for a hug – an awkward hug when Killian was dragged next to her. Neal looked down between them, noticing the cuffs. "Uh – what's this?"

Killian smirked, "Her idea. Way to spice up the bedroom life, if y'know what I mean," he winked.

Emma's eyes widened as she turned to Killian, "What?! No, that's not what this is. Someone thought it would be funny –"

"Hold on," Neal said, pointing to Killian. "Aren't you Killian Jones, from Skull Rock?" Killian nodded. "Hi, big fan. It's nice to meet you," he reached out his hand.

Killian gave a rehearsed smile, then shook it. "Nice to meet you."

Neal turned back to Emma and grinned. "Wow, it's been so long. What – one, two –"

"Four," Emma corrected, "four years."

"Yeah, four years. Look, I've – I've missed you. We should catch up. You look fantastic – really, really great." Neal continued to look her over. Killian rolled his eyes, getting a bit restless.

Emma was a little hesitant, but began to smile and breathe easier. "Um, what are you doing here? You hate these kind of festivals."

"I don't – I don't _hate _them," Neal said with a shrug, pushing his hands in his pockets.

Killian nudged Emma's arm, "Swan, we should be getting back to the group."

"Right," Emma agreed. She turned back to Neal, who was practically pleading with her with his eyes. "Uh, we're going to be performing at six on the Mermaid Lagoon stage."

Neal grinned, "I'll be there."

Emma nodded, still a bit shocked. Killian nudged her again and they started to walk away. "Nice meeting you, mate."

They started to walk back toward his tent; Emma was quiet as they did.

Killian peered down at her. He cleared his throat, "So, ex boyfriend. Let me guess, he was the one who ended it?"

"I'm not doing this, Jones," Emma said, looking up at him. "You trying to bond with me."

"Just making conversation, love."

They continued to walk in silence until Emma looked back up at him. "How'd you know?"

He shrugged. "The way he greeted you. No one tells someone who dumped them that they miss them. You didn't say it to him."

"I was just… shocked, that's all," she said. "It didn't end well between us."

"Because of your music?"

Emma's head shot up to his, amazed that he'd guessed correct. "And other stuff, but yeah. Of course it's just my luck that I'd run into him – here of all places. A hundred-thousand people -" she stopped walking and began to smile, grabbing his arm to stop him too. "I think I just figured out a way to ask for help. Come on."

They began to run to the nearest stage, Killian breathing out _brilliant_ after Emma explained what they were going to do. They were able to weave past security, catching the stage as they prepared for another performance. When they ran up to the microphone, the crowd began to cheer.

Emma started to speak, "Hello everybody! I'm really sorry to barge in on you like this, but we are in a bit of a jam," she held up their arms to show off the cuffs. "Oh, look! It's Killian Jones from Skull Rock!"

The crowd went crazy as Killian took the mic. "We got hitched together by some crazy bloke backstage. I'd love to return his beautiful cuffs if anyone has any bolt cutters." Security finally noticed and approached them, then they began to escort them off the stage.

The crowd cheered again while Emma waved to them. "Bolt cutters!" she yelled while the large men pushed her away. "Ow! Get off me," she said to the security people as they rather forcefully manhandled them.

"All right, all right," Killian struggled to push them away. "Listen, we're sorry, uh," he quickly read the name tag, "Anton! Beautiful name, simply lovely," the large man shook his head and continued to push them along. "Ow! Easy guys! We're leaving."

They ran off the stage together and made their way back to the tent together. They couldn't help laughing at their failed attempt, Killian teasing the way she smiled like a loon when she waved goodbye to the crowd.

Robin was the first to notice them. He grinned and rose his hand, "Killian! Did you and gorgeous finally break free?"

"Nope," he answered, holding up their arms.

"You think I'm gorgeous?" she smirked, mimicking him from earlier.

Killian rolled his eyes, but chuckled. "We crashed a stage and tried to get some help, but we just ended up pissing off some _giant_ security men. It was Swan's idea."

"Hey," she said, still laughing, "you called it brilliant, remember?"

He nodded, "Because it was! How else are you supposed to reach everyone here?"

Snow was sitting with David; Emma noticed that they were acting a bit cozier together than before she left. Ruby had her legs across Victor's lap as she laid on the couch. Will was sitting with Tink and Robin as they all listened to Emma and Killian tell their story.

"Oi," Killian said with a laugh when he noticed, then he brushed against Emma's arm, "they look like old mates." She shook her head, laughing at their friends.

Victor rose his hand to get their attention, "What about the internet? Facebook?"

"Twitter's so much cooler," Ruby pointed out, giving him a teasing nudge with her knee.

Snow pulled out her phone, clicking through her Twitter app until she found Emma's profile. "You have about 50,000 followers, Emma. I bet you could reach quite a lot of people who are here."

"Bloody hell," Will said, astonished. He turned to his bandmates, "Have you lot got that many?"

Robin laughed, shaking his head. "Will, you need to get with the times, brother, and get yourself on Twitter. We all have about a million. Except Killian. What is it now, ole chap? Two million?"

Killian shrugged, "Who knows. You think I follow that? I don't even know why I have so many, I hardly post."

"They bide their time," Victor answered, raising his brow suggestively. "Waiting for you to post a shot of that pretty face of yours. Doesn't matter if you've got nothing interesting to say."

Ruby nodded, "It's true."

Emma and Killian exchanged looks. "Can't hurt to try," Emma said with a sigh. "Who knows, maybe crazy magic guy follows you and he'll come back with the key."

Ruby got excited, jumping up from her seat and skipping over to them. Killian laughed, noticing Victor's disappointing look at the loss of her legs.

She asked for Killian's phone and loaded the camera. "Alright now, hold up your hands and show your handcuffs. Good, this lighting is great! Now, smile!"

Neither of them smiled – what they did was much better. Emma made a frightened face, peering her eyes to Killian like she was both scared of him and a little disgusted. Killian frowned dramatically, widening his eyes like a puppy dog.

Everyone cracked up.

Ruby, who at first pouted because they didn't listen, smiled when she viewed the picture. "Ha! It's perfect!"

Killian took back his phone and loaded it to his Twitter, asking for Emma's URL so he could tag her in it. Emma was a bit surprised, realizing that him doing so would probably increase her profile's traffic, and ultimately her band's. Even if he hadn't had that in mind when he did so, she still thought it was nice of him. Though, there was no way she'd ever say so beyond the small smile that rest on her lips.

"What'd you say?" Tink asked.

Snow looked down at her phone and began to read the tweet out loud. "_Made a bet I couldn't stay locked to swangirl for an hr w/o wanting to pull my hair out. I lost. Someone help us out of these things…NOW!"_

Emma smacked Killian's arm playfully while the group continued to laugh.

Robin started typing on his phone, acting sneaky. Snow, who was still looking through Twitter, laughed, then looked up at Robin.

"What?" David asked, looking over Snow's shoulder.

She began to read aloud again. "_RT killianjones swangirl Gorgeous bracelet you've got Kil, I say keep her. She makes a great accessory AND smells good. You've had worse mate_."

Robin pointed to Tink, "Oh, don't worry, lass. I wrote another tweet giving you full credit for calling it a bracelet." Tink beamed, pointing back at him.

Killian took a deep breath, something only Emma noticed. He reached up with his free hand and started scratching the back of his head. "Wonderful, Milah will _love_ that," he said under his breath. Emma sympathized with him.

"The picture's already got a hundred retweets and five hundred favorites," Snow reported in awe.

"Good lord," Will said with a shake of his head.

"Well, hopefully someone will be able to help us out now," Killian commented. He rose his left hand, pulling Emma's with it, and looked at his watch. "Um, didn't you ladies say you had to perform at 6?"

Emma's eyes widened as she pulled his attached hand across her and read his watch. "We have thirty minutes to get to the stage!" she yelled to the girls.

"Shit!" Ruby yelled, pulling up her phone to check for the time, as if she didn't believe them. "Damn, I wanted to change before we perform. We can make it to the stage in like, ten minutes. Come on girls!"

The ladies started grabbing all their stuff. Emma looked down at herself, realizing Ruby was right. They had no time to change. She was wearing a basic light, white t-shirt with a black tank top underneath. She had on cut-off jean shorts and black converse shoes. She'd had an awesome outfit picked out, too, with jeans and her favorite pair of boots. Snow was trying to make Ruby feel better, saying that this was a music festival and no one really paid much attention to the outfits anyway. And besides, what they all had on was fine. It made Emma feel slightly better.

Robin, David, Victor, and Will started getting up as well. Snow looked over her shoulder to David. "What are you doing?"

"We're going with you," he answered plainly, a sweet smile on his face. "We wanna see the show."

"Aye, and we wouldn't miss a performance that featured one of our mates," Robin added with a smirk as they all began to walk towards the Mermaid Lagoon stage.

Emma's head shot over to Killian, almost forgetting he was following next to her. It was almost like she was getting used to brushing against his arm every minute. "Shit," she groaned. "What are we gonna do about him?"

"Keep him under a blanket?" Tink offered with a giggle. "I don't think anyone would notice."

Killian laughed, "If you think there's a chance I'm staying under a blanket, Lady Bell, you'll be massively disappointed."

"Which stage are you ladies on, anyhow?" Victor asked.

"Mermaid Lagoon."

Killian groaned. Emma looked over at him, her brow furrowing. "What's wrong with that?"

"It's just one of the smaller ones, isn't it?"

"Actually, it's one of the medium ones," Emma replied sharply. "Not all of us are world famous, y'know. You guys had to start somewhere – didn't you ever play on smaller stages?"

Killian shrugged. "A long time ago. I doubt I could ever go back."

Emma rolled her eyes, scoffing. "You're so full of yourself. What, if you don't sell out a stadium sized arena it's not worth your time of day? It's not about the size or being able to reach out to everyone. It's about the music and sharing that passion and excitement to those who _really _feel it too. Looking out into the crowd and seeing everyone so into the music, even if they don't know the words, is just…"

"Magic?" Killian asked, totally engulfed in what she was saying.

She looked up at him and breathed out a laugh, "Yeah, magic. I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore, do you? Everyone knows your songs. The girls are just worried about everything going well. If we don't give a good performance we won't be invited back."

"Come on!" Ruby called behind her to Emma and Killian, who'd fallen behind.

He grinned as he called back, "It's exhausting dragging along this ole ball and chain." Emma playfully smacked his arm. "Ow! You're gonna bruise my arm with all that wacking!"

"This is exhilarating," Will yelled out as they started to power walk even faster. "Last time we got to watch a show side stage was when we last saw the Cats perform."

"The Cats?" Tink's brow creased.

"The Cheshire Cats," David answered. "Will's old band."

"I wasn't _in _the band," Will corrected. "I was just filling in for Cyrus because Alice begged me. You lot just happened to stroll in to the club we were playing in and saw me. Robin's an old mate of mine from the academy."

"Are they here?" Victor asked; Will nodded. "Awesome – we need to find them later! I haven't seen them in ages; Jefferson owes me a few shots."

They approached the stage, showing their passes to get past the security guards. Their equipment was already on stage thanks to Tink's younger step brother, Peter. The nineteen year old convinced the girls to let him join them to the festival if he volunteered to be their roadie. At the moment, Emma was thankful for his services and almost forgot about how much the guy irritated her to no end.

The guys called out good luck from the side of the stage as the girls got into place. Emma was on the right of the stage with her keyboard, Tink was to her left back a ways on the drums, Snow was up some to her left, and then Ruby positioned slightly behind her with her bright red guitar. Though, Ruby hardly ever stood in place during a show.

They pulled up a chair next to the keyboard for Killian to sit on. Emma looked down at herself, a little upset that she looked so plain. She scanned her eyes over to Killian, who was wearing a blue v-neck and black vest, looking a bit bored. The pale blue shirt matched his eyes - not that Emma noticed.

She nudged him, "Give me your vest." He lowered his sun glasses and peered up at her, raising a questionable brow. She decided to ignore the urge to call him a tool for wearing sunglasses when the sun was already starting to set. "Please? I need _something_ – I look too plain."

"You look fine, Swan," he said, looking over her. For a moment, Emma almost blushed at his compliment. "You think anyone is gonna overlook that bright hair of yours?" Emma whined and began to pout, praising pleases as she bounced up and down. Killian groaned, laughing at her childish dance. "Fiiiiine, but as long as you keep bouncing like that for me," he gave her a wink. She playfully smacked him again, then began to help him unbutton his vest.

Killian pulled his arm out of the right side, then slid it down his left arm. He helped Emma pull it up her own right arm and then slide her left arm through the left side. It was larger on her, of course, but she expected that. To her surprise, the inside of the vest was a shiny-satiny-paisley material. She kept it hanging open, and the result was quite lovely. She posed in front of Killian, silently asking for his input.

He stared at her, then cleared his throat as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "It looks great. You should wear my clothes more often."

"Don't get your hopes up," she snickered, giving him an appreciative smile.

Finally, the lights lowered on the stage and the crowd began to cheer. Tink started tapping on the cymbals in a fast beat, cueing Ruby at the guitar. When the instrument wailed, the crowd went wild. Killian watched as Emma began to tap on her keys, her body bouncing to the beat. Snow started singing, obviously one of their more popular songs because the crowd began to sing with her.

As much as Killian had dread having to be on this stage, he was actually realizing it wasn't that bad. There wasn't a gap between the stage and the crowd like there was at some of the major concert halls. The crowd was right there under you – he could hear their screams and them singing. Hell, he could even see them. Which was something he usually had trouble with when the huge spot lights would hit.

The song ended, the crowd applauding loud enough to pull Killian's attention back to the girls.

Snow reapproached the microphone, "How y'all doin' tonight?!" Applauds. "Awesome! For those of you who don't know, we are The Fairest and we want to thank you all for joining us. You might have noticed a little change to our usual line up," she said with a laugh, raising her hand and gesturing toward Emma. The blonde raised up her handcuffed arm and the crowd laughed. "Emma developed a nasty growth on her right hand. But we won't let that stop us, will we ladies?"

Emma started up the next song, leading them in. She leaned up to the microphone and started singing. _"Shame on you for taking me down a peg or twoooo. Taken the blame for a fairytale of forbidden fruuuuit." _Killian looked up and started watching her, quite taken back at how well she could sing. "_Describe me a position, but I don't wanna play. Realize I should be pretty and have nothing to say. I will not stay put and obey._"

Something came over Killian, recognizing the familiar tune of the song. Out of instinct and a tiny bit of mischief, he reached up and tapped on one of the higher note keys twice. Giving the song an added _duh-duh_.

Emma's head shot down. "Hey," she said away from the mic. Killian gave her an innocent look, but continued to play the added notes of _duh-duh-dun-uh_. Emma turned back to the mic, "_The Fairest covers all manner of sins. The jilted brides that blush on clue, that's just something a girl like me wouldn't do. I will not waaaait for yooooooou._"

"_Sooometiiiimes I feel I've got to," _Killian sang into the mic with her. Emma backed up slightly, wondering what the hell he was doing and thinking of all the ways she was gonna kill him later – when the crowd started to cheer. _Duh-duh_, he played, "_Run away – I've got to" _duh-duh "_get away from the pain you drive into the heart of me_."

Emma began to harmonize with him, adding in the appropriate _oooh_'s as she and Killian both played the keys.

_"The love we share, seems to go nowhere_," Killian went on_, "And I've lost my light, for I toss and turn I can't sleep at night." _

They both began to sing in the mic, Killian's deep voice blending perfectly with Emma's high one. _"Once I ran to you," _they could hear the crowd singing along_, "now I run from you. This tainted love you've given. I gave you all a boy could give you. Take my tears and that's not nearly ALL!" _

"_Tainted love," _Killian sang deeply, Emma harmonized, then went back to singing her own song, the combination working magic on the crowd.

_"Sometimes I feel I've got to –" _

_"The Fairest covers all manner of sins –"_

_"Get away, I've got to –"_

_"Sugar and filth isn't all that I have been –" _

_"The pain you drive into the heart of me –" _

_"The jilted brides that blush on cue –" _

_"Seems to go nowhere, and I've lost my light –" _

_"I will not wait for you –" _

_"Can't sleep at night –" _

By now they were both dancing and bouncing to the song, Emma joining Killian for the chorus again. _"Once I ran to you, now I run from you. This tainted love you've given, I gave you all a boy could give you. Take my tears and that's not nearly ALL!" _

The girls ended the song and the crowd screamed louder than ever. Killian held up Emma's hand, holding it and then dramatically bowed down to her. Emma could only laugh; she couldn't believe how fast her heart was racing. She hadn't felt that inspired during a show in ages. And as much as she hated to admit it, she had fun.

They could hear the rest of Skull Rock cheering and whistling from the side. Robin was clapping so loud he almost missed his phone vibrating. He answered the call, moving backstage so he could hear the person on the other line better.

"Hello?" he yelled into the phone.

"Mr. Hood, where are you boys?" Regina asked in a harsh tone.

Robin chuckled. "We're at the Mermaid Lagoon stadium watching the girls perform. They're _really _spectacular."

"I figured you all might have gone over there. Is Mr. Jones on stage?"

"Of course, they couldn't find a way to unlock, so he had to go with them. I should have called you beforehand, it'll probably go viral soon. People will think Kil has gone off on some side project," Robin said with a chuckle.

Regina sighed on the other side of the line, but he could tell she was smiling. "Well, hold tight. I finally tracked down the guy known for handcuffing people at these things. The key should be on its way to you now, so don't move. Her name is Belle. You boys have fun, but don't do anything too stupid. You have a gig tomorrow, remember that Mr. Hood."

"You know, you can call me Robin. And not just when we're alone together," he said a little softer into the phone, a secret smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

He could almost feel her blush through the line. "See you tomorrow… Robin."

He chuckled, hanging up the phone, biting his lip.

"_Robin_?"

He turned to his left and came face to face with a short brunette woman.

She smiled when he reacted to the name. "Hi, my name is Belle Gold. Your manager got ahold of me and said that your friends were handcuffed. I am so sorry about this, my husband can get a little carried away at these kind of festivals –"

"Your husband?" Robin asked, remembering how strange the man looked. The small woman before him was positively beautiful and spoke so sweetly. Talk about your modern Beauty and the Beast. It was a twist he most definitely was not prepared for.

She smiled brightly, "Yes. He's been doing it for years at these festivals. It's a nasty habit, meddling in other's lives. I've been trying to get him to stop."

"Why does he do it?" Robin asked.

"My husband thinks he has this special power; this divine ability to read people's energy and predict the future. Specifically with people he believes to be true love. So he intervenes where he sees fit. He says that his work brings people together in ways they never expected… even those who he didn't physically touch. I don't know if it's true," she said with a small chuckle. "Personally, I think the music just reaches into his hopeless romantic heart and he gets carried away. Look, I'm so sorry for everything and all the trouble this may have caused you. Here," she pulled out the key and handed it to him. "This will unlock them."

Robin smiled, looking back at the stage and thinking about how the handcuffs had actually been the best thing to happen to them at the festival so far – and for some of the members, the best thing to happen to them in years. Especially when he remembered the way David and Victor looked at Snow and Ruby. He took the key and shook the woman's hand. "Please, don't feel bad. It's actually been… well, it's been an interesting surprise. Have a lovely day, Mrs. Gold. And thank you."

He gripped the key and stuffed it in his pocket, then returned to the show.

A few songs later, and the crowd was shouting for an encore. As tribute, the girls invited Killian and the other men to join them for the last song, putting their own spin on 'Come Together' by _the Beatles_. The result was astounding, causing the audience to roar louder than Emma had ever heard. Her cheeks were burning but she just could not stop smiling.

"You ladies were bloody brilliant!" Will shouted as they exited the stage.

Emma nudged Killian's arm, "You know, Jones, when you pulled your little stunt… I wanted to kill you. And I mean medieval torture dungeon kind of killing." Killian snickered. "But I have to admit, you were great."

"You weren't so bad yourself, love," Killian replied, nudging her arm back.

"_Killian_."

He looked over his shoulder and found Milah standing near the stage exit, having waited on them. The gang stopped with him, turning to face her. She had her arms folded, obviously unhappy still.

"Milah," he greeted, forcing a smile. It wasn't that he was unhappy about seeing his girlfriend. He wasn't – he just immediately felt guilt plunge toward his heart. Why, he wasn't sure. But he reasoned it was because he hadn't thought about her since he saw her last.

She walked up to him and held up her phone. "Have you seen what you've started online? The hashtag #taintedcuffloveEMF is trending. The video of you two performing together has gone viral. There's pictures everywhere of you two practically making out on that microphone -"

Victor, who was carrying Ruby on his back, scrunched his nose, "Not very clever, is it? The hashtag, that is. I would have gone with #handcuffedlove or something like that."

"That's not much clever-er," Ruby replied with a giggle.

Milah wasn't amused. She looked between Killian and Emma, her eyes lingering on Killian's vest still hanging around Emma's body. "How do you think this makes me look, Killian?"

"Baby, you know how the media is," Killian groaned. "It'll blow over after the weekend, you just wait."

"No, this won't just blow over. I can't… I can't do this anymore."

Killian's brow dropped as he took a few steps closer, reaching out to her, "Milah –"

She rejected his hand, holding up her own to stop him. "Come on, Killian. You know we've been just blowing things over for far too long now. It can't go on."

Emma started to feel really uncomfortable; she wished she could join the others who were standing farther back. But instead she just stood beside Killian, trying her hardest not to pay attention to the fact that he was getting dumped right here in front of everyone.

He exhaled deeply, running his hand through his hair in an exasperated motion. "And whose fault do you think that is, Milah? _You _are the one who keeps blowing everything off – our fights, our disagreements, our happiness – you've been blowing _us _off."

"You're right," she replied, her anger subsiding. She dropped her head as her voice softened. "When we started, it was all fun and adventure and glamour. I fell head over heels the moment I met you. But now… it's gone. All that passion, the romance –"

"The magic," he finished with a solemn sigh.

Milah nodded sadly. "I love you, Killian. I do. But I just… it's over. I'm sorry, truly."

Killian had gone quiet, unable to look up at her. It was only when he nodded that she turned around to leave. Emma felt awful, unsure of what she should do or how she could comfort him. She went with what felt natural, reaching over and putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked down at it, taking a deep breath. To her surprise, he reached up with his free hand and put it on top of hers, wrapping it around and giving her a sincere squeeze. It was a small gesture – but it spoke volumes.

He finally looked over to her when he let go and she put her hand down. She tilted her head, asking with her eyes if he were okay.

_Not really_, his gaze replied.

They walked up to the rest of the group. David was the first to approached Killian, throwing his arm over his shoulder. "You alright man?"

"Aye," Killian answered. He shrugged, shaking his head. "It was bound to happen eventually, I suppose. There was just – there was no…" he glanced to Emma, then back to David, "connection. I'll be alright, mate – like always."

David pat his shoulder, then looked to Emma. He gave her a smile, an unspoken gratitude for being there to support his friend.

"You could go after her," Snow offered, "beg her to give you a second chance."

Killian scoffed, "I don't chase women, or beg for that matter. I'll tell you what though, I need a drink. Shall we go find one?"

The group cheered, then made their way toward some of the booths. As they walked, Robin moved next to Killian, keeping in pace with him. He nudged his arm, subtly getting him to look down. He pulled out the key from his pocked, then gestured to the handcuffs. Killian looked between the keys and the cuffs, then back to Robin. It was wrong, he knew it. But he was afraid that without the cuffs, Emma would run away. It was bound to happen, but he wasn't ready. Not just yet.

So he decided to make a selfish call as he pat his friend on the shoulder and shook his head. "Not yet, mate." Robin only smiled, understanding. He shoved the key back in his pocket.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Yay an update! I'm trying to keep the chapters relatively long, that way the story won't be so spread out. But that means that it'll take a little longer to update. I'm thinking that the story will last a few more chapters, depending on if I want to end the story with what I've got planned. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I own neither OUAT or the movie this is based on. **

**Playlist: ****_Helter Skelter, I Want You (She's So Heavy), All My Lovin', I Wanna Hold Your Hand, All You Need is Love, Revolution, I've Just Seen a Face, Let it Be, With a Little Help From my Friends, _****all by the Beatles.**

* * *

Emma downed her fourth beer, trying to ignore the fact that it was too warm to be pleasant as it ran down her throat. When she swallowed, she slammed the bottle down. "Rum!"

Everyone cheered, a drunken stupor hovering over the group. Some more than others… like Snow, who wasn't a big drinker and was giggling excessively after her second bottle. Killian held up his fifth cup, ready to start.

"Okay," Ruby said, louder than she probably realized, "animal beginning with an E. Elephant has already been used and don't forget to drink while you think!"

"Emu!" Killian shouted, setting down his cup without having to drink any. He smiled smugly at answering the question so quickly, nudging a laughing Emma. Whether it was from the booze or forced proximity, the two were constantly touching. Emma couldn't help but become distracted every time his arm rubbed against hers, or he leaned against her a bit.

Victor pointed to Snow, "Body part! Starts with a U."

She started drinking, then about half way through she set her plastic cup down, "Umbilical cord!" Next to her, David nearly fell over from laughing so hard.

"Animal beginning with an E!" Will yelled, pointing to Tink.

Killian started to stand up, when Emma quickly pushed him back down, placing her hand on his thigh. She had only meant to keep him sitting down, probably because she didn't want to stand up herself. But her touch to his upper thigh sent his skin blazing. And then, she had the nerve to keep it there, totally transfixed on watching Tink start to drink – as if she had no idea what kind of affect just her touch was having on him.

Ruby whipped her head toward Will, "Hey! I already asked that!"

"Doesn't matter," he replied with a chuckle, waving her off.

Tink got to the end of her cup before putting her it on the table. "Umm… Edward!"

"What?!" everyone replied at the same time, laughing as they did.

She smiled brightly, "That's the _name _of the animal! He happens to be a lemur but his name is Edward."

"Tink you are ridiculous," Emma said between breaths, finally moving her hand as she reached for her next beer. Killian, who had all but held his breath, exhaled deeply as his mind was finally able to focus back on the game.

Snow pointed to Robin, "Weapon beginning with an A!"

"Arrow!"

Emma was trying to remember how to breathe, laugh, and swallow down her sip of beer when Killian nudged her elbow. Not realizing that he was trying to get her attention, she nudged him back harder.

"_Swaaan!" _he groaned, bouncing in his seat like a toddler.

She finally looked over at him. "_Whaaat_?" she mimicked.

"I have to use the loo." She rose her eye brow and shook her head as a question, wondering why he was telling her. He rose their hands. "You have to go with me."

Emma made a face, "Gross. I don't wanna watch you pee."

He dragged her upward and pulled her along with him as they started walking, steadying her as she stumbled a little. "You're not gonna watch me piss, Swan. You just have to turn around or something."

"Fine," she said with a whine. "But when I have to go, you're gonna have to stand outside the door. It's gonna be more complicated for me and that's not exactly something I want you seeing."

"Trust me, love. That's not something I want to see either."

When they started walking, Emma realized just how much the alcohol had affected her. She hadn't taken into account those three – or was it four – shots they'd done before they started their drinking game. In fact, the only reason why she was walking straight now was because she had her shoulder up against Killian's. Something both of them were well aware of.

"You know, there's porta-potties closer to where we were."

Killian scoffed, "There's no bloody way in hell I'm going into one of those shit-houses. I have no problem walking all the way down to where the proper bathrooms and showers are."

"You are such a snob," she said with a roll of her eyes.

After they walked for a little while, she looked over at Killian, expecting to see the same cheerful look he'd had when they were around their friends. But the cheeky grin and playful eye brows were replaced with a stone expression.

Emma was good at reading people; it was a skill she was extremely proud of. She'd taken enough psychology classes in school to be able to tell by just a single cue whether a person was about to wrap their arms around someone for a joyful hug or to strangle them in rage. It came in handy tremendously when she took her first criminology class – she'd been top in her class at being able to decipher through the case analysis and criminal profiles correctly. And in all her studies, she realized she had a particular gift for being able to tell when people were lying. She'd gotten so good at it, she deemed it her superpower.

So when she looked up at Killian and asked if he was alright, she knew he was lying immediately when he said he was. She wasn't much for consoling people, or getting emotional in general. But the alcohol was doing something to her otherwise in-tact filter. "I'm sorry about Milah," she said, looking up at him. "I feel partly responsible for the break up. Like maybe my presence was sort of the tipping point."

"You give yourself too much credit, Swan," he said with a reassuring chuckle. "Like I said to Dave: it was bound to happen."

Emma shrugged, "You don't know that for sure. Haven't you been together for a while? I know I'm not supposed to believe everything the media says, but you two seemed happy. I guess I just expected you to be more, I don't know –"

"Heartbroken?" Emma nodded. Killian's eyes dropped as they continued forward. "My heart's been sort of used to it for a while now."

Her brow creased as she tilted her head, "Why?"

Killian cleared his throat, taking a deep breath as if trying to figure out where he should start. For a moment, Emma thought that he wasn't going to answer her. She wouldn't blame him if he decide to close himself off – it wasn't like he owed her any kind of insight into his life. Not to mention, he was a celebrity. Who knew what kind of trust issues he had when it came to giving people private information. She could see it clearly: him giving up just enough information to further himself along in whatever conversation he was engaged in. She could see it because it was exactly what she did. Emma understood all too well what it was like to build up a wall around yourself; and in her own realm of comfort, she was standing at the door of Killian's own private wall, knocking.

He looked down and met her eyes. She was about to tell him that he didn't have to answer – when he started to talk. "When we met, we sort of fell head over heels. According to her, she knew she loved me the moment we saw each other. That first year, we were mad for one another. She was very supportive of the band and me, always right by my side at every concert, every dinner, every event. And then the spell sort of… drizzled out." His eyes were no longer looking for the bathroom building; they were distant, watching a reel of memories flash before him. "Her modeling became more demanding, so she couldn't travel with us as much as she used to. Her group of friends changed and so did she, eventually. That's when we started going through our problems. Every time we got in a fight, I'd be in such a sore mood for weeks. The boys couldn't stand seeing me so upset so often. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure they're too torn to see her go."

"Now you can be a boy band of responsible-free bachelors again, huh?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.

It worked, pulling at the corner of Killian's lips. He shook his head as he chuckled. "Looks can be deceiving, love. For example, Robin has a three year old boy." When Emma's mouth dropped, Killian began to laugh. "It's not exactly something he wants the press to be privy on, so I expect you to be delicate with that information. He married his high school sweetheart right after they graduated. But when the band life became too big, she realized it wasn't the life she wanted. They separated, and right after that she found out she was pregnant. The boy stays with his mother mostly, especially when we're on tour. We all love that little boy, no one more than Robin."

"That's so sweet," Emma couldn't help but say. "He must miss him so much."

Killian nodded, "Oh yeah. He makes sure to talk to him on the phone or video chat everyday – but the absence kills him. He does a bloody well good job of hiding it, though. I'm not sure I could do the same."

Emma shook her head, agreeing with him. "Wow. Do any of the others have children? Secretly married?"

"Actually," he laughed, "Dave did come extremely close to being married. It was all over the papers at the time, his relationship with Katherine Midas."

"Ohh, yeah. That actress from that thriller movie a few years ago, right? Where someone kidnapped her or something?"

Killian nodded, "Aye. Dave isn't one for being in the limelight, something that we and Regina know all too well. But somehow, their relationship kept showing up in the tabloids. It used to infuriate Dave and he was about to have Regina hire an investigator when it was leaked that they were engaged. But Katherine finally came clean. She was only with him because her manager, who happened to be her father, thought that it would be good for her career to date the rising music star. She told him that she felt very guilty because he was too good of a man to use – plus she was in love with some other bloke. After that he sort of swore off dating. In fact, Snow's been the first woman I've seen him even give the time of day to."

Emma smiled, thinking about the way that Snow and David had pretty much been inseparable since they met. She began to wonder if she'd ever have that kind of intimate, attachment to someone. Instinctively, she looked down at her handcuffed wrist and chuckled at her own irony.

"Same with Will, actually," Killian observed, furrowing his brow. "I mean, Vic and Red –"

"Red?"

Killian chuckled, "Excuse me, uh, Ruby is what I meant. I've sort of taken to calling her Red in my mind ever since we met you both this morning."

Emma couldn't help the completely embarrassing giggle that left her lungs as she thought about how appropriate the nickname was. "And what about me? Am I Yellow?" she asked, lifting up a golden curl and looping it around her finger.

"Now that is a ridiculous nickname," he said with a throaty laugh. "If I were going to go that route it would be Blondie, like from that Rapunzel movie. Or Goldilocks. No, no – you're Swan, remember?"

"Right," she nodded, "I forgot. People usually give nicknames to people they actually like."

Killian smirked, peering down at her as he rose his brow. "Don't let it get to your head, Swan, but I quite fancy you from time to time… when you're not yelling at me."

Emma's mouth dropped slightly as she looked up at him, but closed it when he started to chuckle. In reply, she did what she always did when she was called to face certain emotions she wasn't prepared to face: she avoided it. Instead, she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Should I even comment on the fact that you watch Disney Princess movies?"

"Finally," Killian said, ignoring her question and pulling her forward. They approached the building and he opened one of the doors. "Okay, um, just stand out here and hold the door closed. I'm not sure how long this will take with only one hand."

After about five minutes, he was done. Then they switched. Emma's time in the stall took a little longer, something Killian had no problem teasing her about.

"Shut up, Jones!" he heard her call through the thin door. "My plumbing is a bit more complicated than yours."

Killian laughed, leaning against the back of the door to keep it closed. Emma was wresting with trying to pull up her clothes with just one hand; she was now working on her shorts. On the other side of the door, she could faintly hear someone recognize Killian.

_"Oh, hey. Uh Neal, right?" _

Emma's eyes widened at the name, causing her to lose her balance and fall against the wall. She cursed to herself, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. She wasn't some hormonal teenager anymore; she'd grown up. It'd been years since she last saw Neal and just being in his presence again seemed to revert her self-esteem back to an adolescent.

"_Aye, the chains are still on. What? Oh, yeah, she's in there. Taking a massive drop from the sound of it." _

"Dammit, Jones!" she shouted, smacking the door forcefully.

She could hear him laugh on the other side as she started to pull up her shorts more rapidly, if not slightly sloppier. She realized she was still wearing his vest, which he obviously didn't want back too urgently considering he hadn't even mentioned it. When she buttoned everything and situated herself, she tried to push the door open – but it wouldn't budge.

"_Ooh, sounds like something exploded. I'm feeling a bit of pressure against the door." _

Emma was going to kill him. She was going to cut off his hand if she had to. "Let. Me. Out!" she yelled, banging on the door again. She wrapped her left hand around the chain and started to yank on it toward her, smacking his chained hand against the wall.

"_Ow!" _

"Well let me out you jackass!" she pushed against the door as hard as she could – then flew through the opening.

Her momentum propelled her forward; her chain swung her sideways. Killian grabbed her arm and pulled her into him before she was able to drag him to the ground with her.

When she caught her breath and looked up at him, she only let herself appreciate being wrapped up in his arms for a second before pushing out of them. She smacked him in the gut, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

Emma didn't let the sharp way his breath had hitched before she pushed away from him slip – although she did decide to ignore it. Along with the flustered way he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat. "Don't get your knickers in a wad, Swan. I was just having a bit of fun. Neal knows; he was laughing along."

That's when she remembered that he was there, standing off to the side with his hands in his pockets, looking only a tiny bit uncomfortable.

He gave her a small smile as he took a step closer. "I saw Killian and knew you had to be near. Congratulations on your performance; I tried to catch you afterwards but I didn't know where you were."

"You saw the show?" she asked before realizing how stupid of a question it was. Obviously he saw the show, he just said that.

Neal nodded, "You invited me. It was really great and how awesome was it that you got Skull Rock to perform with you? I mean, you girls will get serious popularity points. No more birthday parties and night clubs for you," he said with a chuckle.

Killian's brow furrowed. _Not much of a compliment_, he thought bitterly. The girls had performed brilliantly on their own before Killian intervened. At least, that's what he'd thought. But maybe that wasn't how Neal had meant it; maybe Killian was just looking for something to be wrong. Though, the longer he listened to Neal try to praise her and her band, the more he realized that Neal had no idea how to compliment her. Not the way another musician would. And what was this, the third or fourth time he mentioned Killian's band? He tried not to keep tabs or read into what that meant. But, again. Maybe he was just looking for something to be wrong.

"It was _really _great seeing you up there," Neal said, again, to Emma. He nudged her arm and chuckled, "Just like old times, huh?"

Emma shrugged, but smiled as she thought back to the _good _times she'd had with Neal. She considered how sweet he was being and how different. Before he would have never voluntarily gone to see her perform, much less sit through a whole gig. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol coursing through her veins or the nostalgic feeling his presence brought her, but she was feeling vulnerable enough to do something she wouldn't have dreamed of doing four years ago. "Would you like to come back to the group with us? We're all just hanging out and drinking; we might go watch a few shows."

Neal's face lit up. "I'd love to!"

Killian gave his best fake smile and nodded as they started to walk back to the picnic table they'd left their group at. It grew quiet, and a bit uncomfortable – two things Killian didn't like.

"So," he started, turning slightly toward Emma, "as I was saying before we started talking about nicknames. Tink – what's her situation? Will seems to have taken quite a shine."

Emma shook her head, smiling wide as she thought about her friend. "She's in a relationship; I think he'll have to settle on just being friends."

"Oh, that's not a problem," Killian said, shrugging. "I just noticed they seemed to be enjoying each other's company, was all. So, who is the lucky guy and why didn't he join you lasses?"

"_Her _name is Vidia," Emma answered, assessing his reaction. Killian's brow rose, and then he nodded, understanding his mistake.

"Really?" Neal asked, a bit surprised. "So she never gave that Terence guy a chance, huh? Poor dude – he had it bad."

Emma shrugged, "He knew she wasn't interested in him like that. They're still friends. He goes out with Tink and Vidia and their group of friends all the time. He's very happy for her."

"And why isn't Ms. Vidia here to watch the Lady Bell perform?" Killian asked, trying to get the conversation to turn back to the present. The longer they kept the dialogue in the past, the farther down memory lane the two would travel.

"She wanted to, but she's actually working on a very important case. She'll be here at the end of the week to spend the last couple of days with us," Emma answered, turning her attention back to Killian. "She's a lawyer."

He smirked. "Tink: the free spirit, bundle of positive energy… with a lawyer? Most certainly didn't see that coming."

Emma chuckled. "She has a bit of a tough exterior, but she grows on you. I think you'd like her, Jones."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Swan."

They spent the rest of the walk much the same way. Neal or Killian would bring up a topic, Emma would answer. And sometimes Neal would ask Killian something about what it was like being famous, which left him feeling a bit uncomfortable. Emma could feel the weird vibe that danced between them, but kept telling herself that it would get better when they finally made it back to group.

"Finally!" Will announced when they came into sight of the picnic table. "You two took bloody forever over there. Did you get lost? Fall in?"

"Sod off," Killian called back, waving him off. David tossed something to him. He lifted his right hand and observed the fabric.

David chuckled. "They're wrist warmers, for you two. Snow noticed that the handcuffs were rubbing your skin raw so we found a vender selling these. You're welcome."

Killian handed Emma one, then held it out to look at it. It was black, with the festival's name embroidered on it, a beanstalk and some vines growing around the letters. They said their thank yous as they slipped them onto their wrists, grateful for the cloth barrier.

"Will got ahold of Alice," Victor said when they finally made it over to them, "The Cats will be performing soon. We've gotta get going if we want to find a good spot to watch them – uh, hi? Who's this?"

Emma looked over to where Victor was pointing and realized that he meant Neal. Embarrassed for being so rude, she blushed. "Oh! I'm sorry. Guys, this is Neal Cassidy. An old - um, friend. Neal, this is Victor Whale, Will Scarlet, David Nolan, and Robin Hood. And you know the girls."

Neal chuckled, "Hell, I know the guys. Well, know of. It's so awesome to meet you all. I'm a huge fan."

The group began to walk toward one of the stages while Neal went around shaking each of the Skull Rock member's hands. Snow and Ruby pushed Emma to the back of the group and tried to separate her as much as she could from Killian.

"Emma," Snow tried to whisper, "what is he doing here?"

"We ran into him earlier," Emma explained, shrugging. "I invited him to watch us perform and he did. I didn't see him again until just right now. So I offered for him to come hang out."

Ruby wrapped her arm around Emma's shoulder. "Girl. Are you so desperate for some that you'll settle for stale cookies? Take my advice: drop the old and stick with the new," she rose a brow and gestured to Killian. "And he is so new he's straight out of the oven hot, if you know what I mean."

He was trying not to listen, honestly he was. But it was hard not to eavesdrop when he was so close. Killian tried to keep himself from smirking at Ruby's words. _That's why I like you, Red_, he thought.

Snow looped her arm through Emma's free one. "Seriously, though. Need I remind you how much that guy broke your heart the first time? You haven't had a real relationship since –"

"You think I don't know that, Mary Margaret?" Emma asked, a little frustrated at being bombarded by her two best friends. Snow knew she was being serious when she used her real name like that. Emma shrugged. "I'm just asking him to hang out, not be my boyfriend. It's been four years, okay? We've both changed and he seems to be sincere. It's not like I'm throwing myself at him."

Killian took a deep breath, feeling a little better about the situation.

"You know who you should throw yourself at," Ruby said suggestively.

Snow was still looking a bit concerned. She noticed David kept looking back at her as Neal continued to talk to him. He gave her a concerned look, probably wondering why she'd hung back to talk to Emma. She gave him a half smile, gesturing with her eyes toward Neal. He seemed to understand her apprehension.

"Why is he even here?" Snow asked, turning her attention back to Emma.

Before she was able to answer that she didn't know, they made it to the appropriate stadium and found a good spot to see the stage that also left a little room for dancing.

Emma could feel her adrenaline start to spike as they finally got comfortable in their spot. She loved performing, but she also loved watching. And as the Cheshire Cats began to play, Emma couldn't help but be captivated in the wonderland that was their performance. Killian leaned down close to Emma and began to point out each of the members. Amazingly, she was able to comprehend what he was saying even with his hot breath against her ear. She only caught herself shivering three times.

Alice Kingsleigh was the lead singer and bass guitarist. She and Will had been best friends since they were kids. Killian didn't know the whole story, but he knew that Alice's father was away a lot traveling. And when he was home, Killian got the impression that he was abusive. Not physically; but Alice would often run away at night and crawl through Will's window, crying about something her father yelled at her. And as she grew older, it got worse. Especially when she decided she wanted to start a band. He insisted that she needed to grow up and start thinking logically, belittling her. As soon as she was old enough, she and Will ran away together. And because of that, Will had always been very protective of her.

Killian pointed to her left at the lead guitarist and named him Cyrus Djinn. He and Alice were something of an item and had been for about six years. It'd taken Will some time to warm up to him, Killian told her with a chuckle. He still wasn't sure whether the guy was good enough, but Killian doubted he ever would.

The last member was the drummer, Jefferson Hatter. Emma giggled when she saw him; she couldn't help herself. The guy was wearing an unbuttoned leather vest, nothing underneath. He had a scarf wrapped around his neck and a top hat on his head. She couldn't understand how the hat stayed on with the way he flung his head about, practically jumping out of his seat as he played. He was the fastest drummer that she'd ever seen – even faster than Tink, and that was saying something. Killian laughed when she commented on how quick he was. Apparently, every time their two bands got together, he and David would have a friendly competition. Neither of them ever won, though, because one or both would start to do something silly, causing the other to lose their concentration. Emma asked if the man was as crazy as he looked. Killian smirked, giving her an 'oh yeah'.

Next to her, Emma could feel Neal's discomfort. Whether it was because he was out of his element or because of the way Killian had been speaking in her ear, she wasn't sure. But eventually, everyone started to mellow out.

When Ruby grabbed Emma's free hand and started to dance with her, Killian couldn't help but think about the first time he saw the two of them, dancing around in the middle of a random group of people while he played his guitar. Now he was being pulled into the mix, Ruby grabbing his hand and making him dance along with them. Out of instinct, he grabbed on to Emma's hand, completing the small circle they'd created.

Without noticing – or maybe she was too busy focusing on something else – Ruby had made herself scarce of the pair, and they were dancing together. Emma had never really thought of herself as a _good _dancer. Sure, she had rhythm; she could keep in sync with any beat. But she always felt self-conscious when she was made to dance for real.

But dammit if Killian wasn't an _amazing _dancer. And he had no trouble letting on that he knew it. His face never fell from that adorably annoying smirk of his as he led them around the small circle they carved out for themselves in the audience.

When he spun her around – carefully, as to not twist up their handcuffs – he wrapped his good arm around her body, resting his hand on the small of her back as he pulled her into him. She didn't even have time to joke about the old fashion way they were dancing before her mind became foggy with his proximity.

To gather her wits, she cleared her throat but continued to let him lead them in some kind of new-aged waltz. "Y'know, I didn't peg you for a classical dancer kind of guy. I mean, boy bands usually stick with choreographed eight counts and jumping in place."

"Oh, I think you'll find me full of surprises, Swan," he said deeply, smiling down at her. She couldn't deny the way her expression softened when she looked into the clear blue depths of his eyes. "Dancing is simple – you just have to find a partner who knows what he's doing. And you, my dear, are a natural."

Emma blushed, unable to stop herself from smiling. But in her flustered state, she missed a step and tripped over his foot, falling into him. He caught her, holding her even closer to him as she held on to his shirt for support. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm not as much of a natural as you thought."

"You could have fallen into this crowd and gotten trampled; I nearly saved your life. I think a thank you is in order," he said, giving her a cheeky grin before pouting his lips and tapping the bottom one with his finger.

The music and alcohol pumping through her made Emma feel like she was on some kind of high. So when the rock star against her started to blatantly flirt with her, Ruby's words crept up into the only coherent part of her mind and told her to flirt back.

So when she bit her bottom lip and smiled seductively at him, Killian nearly let his cool attitude slip away. She looked down at where his finger had sat on his lip and smirked, "I don't think you could handle it."

"Perhaps you're the one who can't handle it," he said back, raising an eye brow.

Then she did something that surprised even him – she pulled him by the back of his neck and kissed him. He recovered from his moment of shock quickly, kissing her back as he combed his fingers through the back of her hair and pulled her into him even closer. It wasn't a soft gentle kiss – it was hungry and demanding, the sexual tension built up from the night pouring into their lips as they pulled and pushed against each other.

It took everything she had to pull her lips away from his, but only slightly. And she resisted diving in for another kiss, but only just. Their foreheads were pressed together as they both caught their breath, Killian inhaling sharply before he could whisper out, "That was –"

"A one-time thing," she breathed out a response. Killian looked up at her, both surprised and confused. She pushed away from him, taking a step back as she tried to regain her breathing. "Let's just, um, concentrate back on the concert. Face forward; no more dancing."

Killian cleared his throat, rubbing his free hand against the back of his neck as he tried to follow her orders. "As you wish," he replied, turning toward the stage as he kept his eyes away from her.

Emma bit her lip, trying to resist the smile that threatened the corner of her mouth.

"Hey!" She jumped at the sound of Neal's voice as he made his way over to her. "Sorry I was gone for so long – the line to the bathroom was ridiculous. They're still playing, huh?"

Emma felt a pang of guilt when she realized that she hadn't even noticed he'd left. And then she sighed in relief when she realized that meant he hadn't seen them dance or kiss.

She wasn't sure which she should feel worse about; or which mattered more, she reasoned. It wasn't like she wanted to get back together with Neal… at least she didn't think she did. A short time ago she would have been happy never seeing him ever again. But now that she had, things were different. Old feelings were being mixed with his new attitude and attention. And the little things that had upset her before about him which had ultimately drove that final wedge between the pair didn't seem to bother her as much.

And then there was Killian. That little bitter voice that stood guard at her wall kept reminding her that he was an egotistical celebrity. Despite his relationship, the media had no trouble painting the rock star as a woman loving manwhore. Women were constantly throwing themselves at him; even another woman cuffed to his arm wasn't enough to keep the fangirls away. And even though he'd been polite when he turned down their request to buy him a drink or check out their tent, that bitter voice kept picking at her that just because he declined their offers now didn't mean that he had always. She wasn't like them; she wasn't going to be the latest conquest… no matter how nice that kiss had been.

Without much talk from either Emma or Killian, the concert ended with a huge bang. The applause was deafening, but Emma was screaming along with them. When they all met up back stage and then made their way to the Skull Rock tent, Emma couldn't stop raving about how amazing they were.

When Jefferson couldn't get Ruby's attention away from Victor, he turned it to Emma. "How kind of you to say," he bowed dramatically, sending her a wild smile. He looked between Killian and Neal, who sat around her on one of the couches. His brow creased, "You two look like her body guards. Guy can't squeeze his way in and make a move even if he wanted to."

Emma rolled her eyes as Tink began to giggle. "You wouldn't stand a chance, Hatter."

Jefferson frowned, but shrugged. "Well, I'm off then." The group boo'd. "Listen, I need to go out and get hammered tonight. And since Vic and Killian have gorgeous girls of their own on their arms, I have to take my business elsewhere. Unless Will wants to be my wingman -"

"I can't keep up with you tonight, mate," Will answered. "Got a concert tomorrow. Go find August, he should be around here somewhere. Probably surrounded by some slags who you might stand a chance with."

Jefferson's brow furrowed as he was about to respond to the back-handed compliment, when he nodded in consideration. He waved goodbye to everyone and left the tent.

Alice stood up, taking Cyrus's hand as he followed. "We should get going too; it's been a long day."

The group oooo'd suggestively as they followed Jefferson out of the tent. Everyone but Will, that was. Instead, he grabbed one of the guitars laying around the tent and started picking at it.

"You guys really were awesome when you played that one song at the end of the concert," Neal commented, mainly toward the guys, watching Will as he continued to play a tune. "Um, what was the name of that band?"

"_The Beatles!" _everyone exploded on him.

"How could you not know who the Beatles are?" Robin asked with a laugh.

Neal shrugged, unsure of what he should say.

David held up his hand, "Hey now, don't be so rude. Maybe he's just not a Beatles guy. He's probably more of a Rolling Stones kind of man or something, right?"

"Um, yeah. That's right," Neal lied. Emma knew how little into music he was. Not that he didn't like music; just that he wasn't _into _it. She reasoned that the only way he even knew Skull Rock was because they were so popular and in the media so often.

"I'm just surprised that a boy band knows a Beatles song so well," Ruby teased, giggling as Victor's mouth dropped from the insult.

Will scoffed, "Most of us are English, lass. _Of course_ we're fans." He adjusted his guitar and started to play a fast beat. _"When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide. Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride. Till I get to the bottom and I see you agaaaain. Yeah yeah yeeeeeah. Do you, don't you want me to love you? I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you. Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer. Well you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer. Now helter skelter, helter skelter –" _

Victor snatched the guitar out of his hands, causing Will to throw a few choice cuss words at his fellow band member. He turned to Ruby and started playing another song, with a bit of a slower beat. He rose his brow as he started singing deeply, "_I want you," _duh-nuh-nuh, "_I want you so baaa-aaaa-aaaad. I want you-ooo-ooo-ooou. I want you so baaaad it's driving me mad, it's driving me mad." _

The group could hardly contain their laughter as Ruby tried to remember how to breathe. Though, through her laughter, Emma noticed that the fiery brunette's face had turned a shade deeper.

David confiscated the guitar and shook his head. "You should be ashamed. If you're going to play a Beatles song, at least play one of the good ones." He played a soft melody, something simple but recognizable. "_Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you. Remember I'll always be true. And then while I'm away, I'm write home every day. And I'll send all my lovin' to you." _

The group synchronized an aww as he turned his attention to Snow, who gave him a secret smile.

Tink was the next one to take the guitar, snatching it away as David's attention stayed on Snow. "You haven't even played the most classic one." She giggled as she used the guitar to drum on before she started to sing high. "_Yeah I'll, tell you something, I think you'll understand. When I, say that something, I wanna hold your haaaaand. I wanna hold your haaaaand. I wanna hold your hand." _

The group nodded, as they started to bounce a little to the beat. Snow, however, didn't agree. "I think the most classic is the best love song they have." The group began to murmur, but quieted when she started to sing. "_There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy. All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need." _

Emma chuckled, "Of course you and David pick the sappy love songs."

Ruby, who had taken the guitar away from Tink sometime during Snow singing, began to play the guitar quickly. The intro caused the group to cheer, amazed at how expertly she was playing the familiar tune. _"They say you want a revolution; weeell, you know. We all wanna change the world. You tell me that it's evolution; weeell, you know. We all want to change the world. But when you talk about destruction. Don't you know that you can count me out. Don't you know it's gonna be, alright. Alright. Alright." _She chuckled when she finished her bit and swung the guitar over to Robin. "Your turn, Hood. What's your favorite?"

Robin cleared his throat, taking a deep breath as he took the guitar. "It's not a popular one, mates. My parents were folky-hippy types so my favorite isn't so much a conventional one." The group cat-called and edged him to play regardless. He held up his hands in surrender and started to play the guitar like it was a banjo, then began to singing the fast pace lyrics. _"I've just seen a face, I can't forget the time or place where we just met. She's just the girl for me, and I want all the world to see we've met. Mm-mm-hmm-hmm-mm. Had it been another day, I might have looked the other way. And I'd've never been aware. But as it is I'll dream of her tonight. Di-ni-ni-na-na-di. Fallin', yes I am fallin'. And she keeps callin', me back again. I have never known a like of this, I've been alone. And I have missed things and kept out of sight. But other girls were never quite like this. Mm-mm-hmm-hmm-mm. Fallin', yes I am fallin'. And she callin', me back again." _

When he finished they all applauded at the rapid way he was able to sing the song and play the melody. Emma could feel Killian look over at her a few times during the singing, and she tried to ignore it.

"Are you avoiding me, Swan?" Killian whispered as he leaned down toward her. Emma took a deep breath, looking up at him with an annoyed expression. "I'm quite perceptive, you know. And you, lass, are avoiding me." Emma rolled her eyes and looked back to the group. Frustrated, Killian took the guitar from Robin and handed it to Emma. "Alright, Swan. Your turn. Let me guess, it's probably another love song, aye?"

Emma glared at him as she took the guitar, yanking on his arm so that she could reach the strings with her right hand as she began to play. It was an easy melody, though she did wish she had her keyboard. Everyone grew quiet as she began to play. _"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom, let it be." _dun-duh-dun._ "And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me. Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be." _

Everyone was a bit speechless after she finished, especially Killian, who hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire time she sang. She looked up at him, then shook her head. Handing the guitar back to him, she rose her brow. "You're up."

Killian smirked, taking the guitar and positioned it so that Emma's arm wasn't uncomfortable. He looked around at the group, giving them a grin before he started playing. "_What would you think if I sang out of tune; would you stand up and walk out on me?" _

"Yes," Robin answered, laughing as Killian shook his head.

_"Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song; and I'll try not to sing out of key. Ohh, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Ohh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends. What do I do when my love is away?" _

_"Does it worry you to be alone?" _Victor and Ruby harmonized the next part.

_"How do I feel by the end of the day?" _

Will and Tink took over, _"Are you sad because you're on your own?" _

"_No, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Ohh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends." _

It was David's turn, who had started drumming on the table in front of them. _"Do you neeeeed anybody?" _

"_I need somebody to love." _

_"Could it beeee anybody?" _he pointed behind them toward John, the band bodyguard, who sat in the corner of the tent reading a book.

Killian shook his head, trying to continue his singing through his laughter. _"I want somebody to love." _

_"Would you believe in a love at first sight?" _Snow jumped in on the action, starting the next verse.

_"Yeah, I'm certain that it happens all the time." _

Everyone looked to Emma, and she knew she was next. She turned to Killian and chuckled, shaking her head as she played along. _"What do you see when you turn out the light_?"

_"I can't tell you, but I know it's mine," _he continued, his eyes never leaving hers. _"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends._"

They all cheered when he finished playing.

"Alright," David said, "I think that one definitely wins for this situation. Toast?"

Everyone raised their moderately warm cups and bottles and agreed. After Neal swallowed, he chuckled. "Man, you guys really know your Beatles."

Emma shrugged. "They're sort of a legendary land-mark for musicians. I don't think it's very surprising that two bands would know them so well. They're sort of like Queen; everyone is a fan of Queen, whether you know one song or all of them."

Neal's brow creased, "Queen is the one that sings that _We Are the Champions_ song, right?" Emma nodded, trying to ignore the snickers from certain members of the group in front of her.

Snow began to yawn, "Mmm, anyone else getting tired? What time is it, anyhow?"

David looked down at his watch. "It's almost 2 in the morning."

"We should probably get back to our tent," Tink reasoned, starting to stand up.

Emma stayed seated as she listened to everyone decide what they were going to do. She chuckled when she heard Victor invite Ruby on a tour of their bus… specifically his bunk. David offered to walk Tink and Snow to their tent. Robin tried to discreetly excuse himself, avoiding anyone asking him where he was heading off to. And Will mumbled something about taking a huge sleeping pill when he made it back to his tent.

Before Snow walked out of the tent, she turned to Emma. "Are you coming with us?" She looked between Emma and Killian. "Oh, um. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Snow. But I'll be alright. I'm not even tired right now. In fact, I'm craving a funnel cake. Do you think there are any venders still open selling food?"

Tink chuckled, "It's a music festival – of course there's still food being sold. People need their munchies filled."

"Perfect," Emma said, standing up. She turned to Neal. The guy had been pretty clingy most of the night, and he'd hinted to getting back together a couple of times. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but right now she didn't want to think about that. "Wanna come with us?" she asked. Partly because she felt guilty that he hadn't been involved much in their conversations, but mostly because she was wary about being alone with Killian again. She didn't want to talk about the kiss and she was worried about what might happen if they were by themselves. Not because of him – but her. Luckily, Neal enthusiastically agreed to going with them. She looked over at Killian, who continued to sit on the couch. "What, Jones?"

He sighed, "You didn't even ask if I _wanted _to go. I might be tired, y'know."

"Are you?"

He shrugged, "Maybe."

Emma pouted, "Pleeease? I've had a craving ever since we came back from the concert and I saw some people eating it. I'll let you have some; pretty please?"

Killian exhaled dramatically, then stood up. "Fine. Let's go get your cake."

They walked around for about ten minutes before they found a place. Neal, very graciously, offered to stand in line and get the funnel cake for her.

When he left, Killian swallowed his pride and looked down at a smiling Emma. "That was nice of him," he mustered. "It's actually quite impressive, the way he makes an effort to contribute to our conversations. Even though he clearly knows nothing about music."

"Don't be so harsh," Emma replied.

Killian sighed. "I'm being sincere, Swan. He's trying very hard; it's obvious. It's admirable, even."

Emma looked up at him and gave an appreciative smile. He looked down at her with a gentle gaze, a piece of friendship to sooth the tension they'd created before. She nodded, believing him before she looked down at the ground and sighed. "Mary Margaret thinks I'm making a mistake letting him back in my life. They were there for me when we broke up; it was, um, messy. I nearly gave up on the band when the band was the only thing holding me together."

Killian's heart sank when he pictured a distressed Emma. He swallowed hard, realizing just how similar the two were. During some of the tougher moments with Milah, Killian had broken down quite recklessly. He too considered giving up on his music, mostly after meeting the bottom of his third bottle of rum. But each and every time, it'd been his bandmates that had held him through, picking him up and nursing him back to sanity. And they helped him reestablish how beneficial an outlet like music could be for someone like him. Now all he had to show for the relationship were a couple of over-played hits and a few wasted years.

Emma looked back over toward Neal, who was still waiting in line. She looked back up at Killian, who was watching her. "Do you think it's sort of… pathetic? People don't change, right?" she asked again, rhetorically. "Romance novels and movies just like to sell that idea, but it doesn't happen. Not really."

Killian nodded, understandably. "But there is something to say about learning from one's mistakes, love. Maybe that's what happened."

"What do you mean?" she asked, a little hesitant as if she knew all too well what he meant. She was a product of learning from her mistakes – and growing hard from them. Of letting the wrong people in her life and letting them break her.

"To have you in one's life, Swan, and then do something completely idiotic like let you go," he started, his voice soft as the sincerity from it nearly made Emma's heart swell, "I can't imagine anyone leaving that situation without feeling immense regret and heartache. Anyone who gives you up willingly would have to be a bloody lunatic."

Emma couldn't help but feel like he was no longer speaking for Neal anymore. She considered his words, and began to wonder if people really _could _change. "So, you think I should give him another chance then?" her question came out quiet, almost like she was afraid to even ask.

He swallowed hard, his eyes dropping as he prepared to reply. "I think –"

_"Killian Jones!" _

He nearly jumped at his name being called behind him. He turned, facing a relatively familiar looking woman who approached them.

She held out her hand to shake his. "Tamara. My partner and I were the ones driving you around this morning and filming you for that festival documentary."

"Oh, right," he replied, shaking her hand. "Sorry, it's been sort of a long day."

"Indeed," the woman replied, turning her attention to Emma. "And I can see why. You must be the Swan-girl from the twitter picture. I'm not sure if you two are aware, but that picture and your performance together has been the talk of the festival. Killian Jones and the mysterious woman chained to his wrist… and his heart?" she said, trailing the last of it like a question.

Emma shook her head, "It's not like that –"

"Well why don't you tell me what it's _really _like then," Tamara said, enthusiastically. She was good, Emma had to give her that. "If you let me interview the both of you for this documentary it would set it apart from all the others. It would make my career."

Emma and Killian glanced at each other, and Emma began to wonder if this happened to Killian a lot. Before either of them were able to answer, Neal walked over to them carrying a plate of funnel cake.

"Neal," Tamara greeted, recognizing him as he approached them. She threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss. "Hey sweetie, where have you been all day?"

Killian's eyes widened as he watched the woman kiss Emma's ex-boyfriend. He felt Emma's entire body tense up beside him.

Emma was having a hard time concentrating when Neal, very awkwardly, introduced Emma to Tamara and vice versa. "She's an… old friend," he said to Tamara, mimicking Emma's earlier words.

"Excellent," Tamara raved, oblivious to the awkward tension that hung in the air. "Well this is just meant to be then, isn't it? Listen darling, I have to get back to Greg, but you should definitely invite your friends over to our tent sometime and get together. Especially for that interview." She gave Neal another kiss before she waved goodbye to everyone.

A silence hung in the air for a few seconds later. It broke when Neal tried to reach out to Emma, saying her name softly.

She snatched her arm back and finally looked up at him. "_Don't. _How could you spend all this time with me and pretend like you weren't in a relationship with another woman? Were you _ever _going to tell me about your girlfriend?"

Killian cleared his throat. "Fiancé," he corrected. "I'm sorry, Swan, but she was wearing a ring."

Emma felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. "I can't believe I fell for this. That's why you're here, isn't it? For her."

"Emma, listen," Neal insisted, trying to get her to look at him. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for things to go this way. It's just, the _minute _I ran into you today, all those old feelings came rushing back. And being around you again reminded me of how perfect we were together. I've regretted leaving you every single day since we broke up, I've just been too much of a coward to try and win you back."

"Yeah, some regret," Emma spat back, shaking her head. "You're _engaged _to another woman."

"But I _love _you," he insisted, taking a step closer toward her. "I've never stopped; and I know you feel the same way. We're true love, can't you feel it? You just have to give me a chance. We're so good together, come on. Killian," he turned to Emma's right, his eyes pleading with the rock star, "you've seen it. What do you think?"

Emma looked up at Killian, who until now was trying to keep out of the conversation. But when he looked down at Emma, her expression was asking him the same thing. _What do you think?_

He swallowed, looking at an Emma whose walls were crumbling down around her once again because some of some idiot. Then he turned back to Neal, taking a deep breath. "You know, working in music, being in a band, you develop these telepathic connections. Y'know?" he asked Emma. She nodded and he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. "For that reason alone, I think it's the best way to spend your life. For that connection. That's… that's wealth." He turned back to Neal. "You ask me what I think about this; I'll tell you. I think that your connection with Emma is nothing compared to what I have with her." Emma's mouth dropped slightly, surprised at his words. Neal's gaze dropped, his mouth clenched into a hard line. "Am I lying? I mean, you've known her for years, and yet you barely _know _her. I've known her for ten hours and I have a better connection with her than you do. Listen, mate. You made a decision when you asked that woman to marry you; you made that choice. What you're doing is bad form. You stopped fighting for Emma a long time ago. And a man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets. But what I think doesn't matter, now does it?" He turned back to Emma, who's eyes had fallen to the ground as she listened to him speak. "This is Emma's decision. Swan?"

She finally looked up at him. She could feel Neal's eyes pleading with her to turn to him. But at the moment, her head was swimming with so many emotions that she wasn't sure what to do. But Killian had been right; from the moment they'd met, she'd felt some kind of connection to him. Before, she'd pushed it away, scared as hell at what it could mean. It was something that she didn't have with Neal – something she never had with him, even all those years ago.

Emma finally looked up at Neal and took a deep breath. "You hurt me four years ago. You broke me so deeply that I never wanted to see you again because I didn't want to have to relive those feelings. But when I saw you, it didn't hurt. Not anymore. I'll always love you, Neal. But I never want to see you again. Ever. Go back to your fiancé; and get the hell out of my life."

With a sigh, Neal left.

Emma tossed the funnel cake in a nearby trash can before taking a deep breath, mumbling something about how her craving was gone. Killian was having a hard time figuring out what to say now. "Emma," he tried to comfort her.

She shook her head, raising her hand to stop him. "I don't want to talk."

"What do you want?"

"I need a drink."

* * *

**"Colinodonewithyou: Oh wow haha I have two chapters written for this story. It was one of the first captain swan stories I had in mind, just never posted them because my muse went to other things. I was following more along the lines of the movie though" I'm so sorry! You're the second person to comment that you were planning/writing the story and I feel so bad! I did search through the archives though to make sure that there wasn't already one (I did find a Swan Queen version though), so I thought I was safe lol. I just feel so rude!**

**"Guest: Whoa I thought of doing a fic of Captainswan to this movie cause I thought it was a awesome idea since I've seen no one has come up with it. It's awesome you have. I love the chapter, heck i think i like it better than the movie. I can't wait to read more" They're PERFECT for this AU lol. I'm sorry if I stepped on any toes here. But I appreciate the compliment and hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! :)**

**"buffybabe42: Oh my gosh. This is a super awesome story and very well written. I love everything about it. I have never seen the movie so this is all new to me. Makes me want to watch the movie now. Great job. I hope you update soon cause I can't wait." Thank you so much! It's slightly different from the movie, but I think I kept to the basic story line well. **

**"kwilson898: So cute! The portray of the characters is amazing! So adorable! The plot is amazing as well! Update soon please!" Thank you! :)**

**"pinkcat4569: You have to write more!" On it! Lol. **

**"eriiiica: AMAZING! seriously i loved this story soooooo much just WOW LOVE IT!" Thank you! I loved your review so much! :) **

**"Amanda 676: I look forward to what happens next. I hadn't heard of the movie until this but it sounds like something I'll enjoy. Your story had me hooked from the start." That's such a nice compliment, thank you! I also hadn't heard of the movie until I just randomly found it on tv like a week before I posted the story lol. **

**"headoverhook: I really like the idea and of course Killian told Robin that he wants to be chained to Emma for a little while longer. Can't wait to read where you are taking this next. Wahey!" Of course he did! Gotta have a dramatic plot somewhere, right? ;) **

**"thorntonp8721: Oh holy shit MORE PLEASE. This is fantastic!" Thank you so much! :) I hope you enjoy!**

**"Nothing-Everything-Something: Oh dear god please write more thats just so unfair to write a beautiful story like that and end it with a cliff hanger like that (would also appreciate it if a 3-5 year old Henry made his way into this fic)" That's so kind of you to say! Henry probably won't make an appearance in this fic, I'm sorry. I would have considered it if I had been planning on making this a lot longer lol. But I hope you enjoy regardless!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I know it's been forever, but I sort of took a hiatus from writing these last few months. But I started back up again about a month ago, so I'm finally ready to update! This chapter is a tiny bit shorter than the other chapters, mainly because it's so jam packed with information and emotion that I felt it needed to end where it did before I hit you with some more fluff and angst and fluff again lol. Also, I upped the ratings for this chapter just in case, and for the next chapter (spoilers). I own nothing. I hope you all enjoy! :) **

**Also, 10 points awarded to the house who can tell me where the flask design inspiration came from! **

**Playlist: ****_I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) _****by The Proclaimers****_; Hallelujah _****by Various Artists; and two made up songs (don't judge me, I'm not a song writer lol).**

* * *

"Don't you think you've had enough, Swan?"

Emma gripped her fingers around the plastic shot glass. She looked up at the rock star and rose her brow, a certain challenge brewing from his attempt to cut her off. With a smug smile, she threw the drink back until the burning liquid seared the back of her throat. Even after so many refills, the cheap whiskey caused her to wince every time, no matter how numb the poison made her feel.

Killian scowled, exhaling deeply as he ran his hand over his face. "Or not."

"You don't have to babysit me, Jones. I'm a big girl; this isn't my first rodeo."

"Well, if you haven't noticed, we're sort of stuck together. So it's not like I'm going anywhere any time soon."

Killian checked his watch. The time was approaching 3 a.m., roughly an hour since their friends decided to hit the hay and Emma found out Neal's secret. Since then, she'd been hell-bent on drinking her sorrows away. And for Killian, that meant getting no sleep for the time being. Luckily, Killian was no stranger to long nights and drunken insomnia. But the longer Emma drank, the longer Killian went without one. He'd been in her shoes before, and he felt like he needed to be a sober compass to get her back safely. Not only because he cared about her (something he would have never said out loud), but also because he was scared of what her friends would do to him if he didn't.

So, once again, he tried to get her to slow down as she waved on the overly friendly bartender. "Why don't we go see if there's anyone performing, aye? I'm tired of sitting here, this place smells like piss."

Emma scoffed, "Like there's any more concerts going on in the middle of the night. Besides, the guy is bringing me my next drink."

"Listen, love. I know you're upset about Neal –"

Emma exhaled sharply, her lips tightening as she glared at him. "_Don't_."

Killian wasn't giving up. "But at the speed you're drinking, you'll end up with your head in portaloo and I'll be forced to sit next to you and smell that rubbish."

She wanted to shut him up. He was pushing into dangerous territory and she wasn't having it. So when the bartender finally returned to refill her glass, she pushed the plastic to her right. "Here. You need something to keep you from talking."

Killian smirked, a dirty innuendo tingling at the tip of his tongue. But as he darted it out and ran it over his lips, replaying the kiss they'd shared just a few hours early, he decided to swallow the thought and go with something much subtler. He leaned to his left, pulling the drink from her fingers as he leaned in close to her face. He watched her breath shorten slightly as she reacted to his closeness. Killian looked from her lips back to her eyes, grinning as his voice deepened, "Don't tempt me, love."

He realized she was staring at his lips, licking her own as she leaned in closer to him. Before he knew it, she was wrapping her free hand around his neck and pulling his lips to hers. He relished the way her lips pushed hungrily against his, meeting her lust with an equal passion as he wrapped his own free hand to the back of her head and into her hair. Despite the small crowd around the bar, Emma was pushing herself closer to Killian. When he felt her settle in his lap, moving against his arousal, he groaned a bittersweet growl. When her hands snaked down the front of his body and to the buckle of his pants, he snapped back.

Emma was drunk and heartbroken; and Killian was a gentleman. Gentlemen didn't take advantage of women, especially when that lady and her friends (and his friends, for that matter) would beat his ass in the morning. But the heart of the matter was just that: his heart. Yes, he cared about Emma. And even if his skin caught on fire every time she touched him and he thought about this dozens of times since their first kiss – this wasn't the way to go about it.

His eyes shot open, his lips ceased movement, and his arms stiffened.

Emma felt his body shift away from her, causing her to freeze. He was pushing her away, gasping for air as he pulled his lips from hers. She pulled herself out of his lap in a flash, catching the breath that he'd stolen from her. All at once her mind was screaming at her. _He doesn't want you_, it was saying. _Neal doesn't want you. Killian doesn't want you. No one wants you._

"Emma," he said gently, when he saw the hurt in her eyes. "Not – not like this."

She didn't understand. Killian Jones was a famous rock star – a womanizing alcoholic painted on every magazine cover. And he didn't want her. _Of course he doesn't. _She wasn't good enough. _You never are. _

She was embarrassed – mortified. So she did what she always did when she couldn't handle things. She ran.

Or at least, she tried to. But when she pushed away from the bar top and walked down the dirt path, Killian was pulled along with her. The strain on her wrist a biting reminder that no matter how far she wanted to get away, she couldn't. There'd always be nothing more than six inches of iron between them.

"Emma, wait!" Killian pleaded, trying to get her to slow down. "Don't take that the wrong way, love. You just cut into some deep wounds and you're hurting badly. It would be bad form to take advantage of your… friendliness."

She'd had enough of his _feelings _talk. Her embarrassment had transformed into something bitter, and a hatred seeped through her skin that his very touch set off. When he grabbed on to her arm to stop her from walking away, she turned on him. She spun around and dug her heel into the dirt, her eyes shooting daggers into his soul as she released her venom. "You don't _know _me. You don't know how I _feel_."

"I know you better than you know yourself," he dared to say, not afraid to stand his ground. "You're somewhat of an open book, Swan."

She seethed. "Then burn the pages. What makes you think I want to be read? Especially by _you_. Who exactly do you think you are, Jones? We aren't friends; we don't even like each other. The only reason I've put up with you for this long is because I have to – because of _this_," she lifted up her arm, yanking up his own to emphasize the handcuffs. "You are _nothing _to me."

"I think you know that's not exactly true," he replied, holding strong despite the fact that her words had hurt him more than he would have thought.

She scoffed, a nasty scowl on her face as she took a step closer to him. "You are nothing but a sellout. A pretty face to make all the girls swoon and throw themselves at you. And who are you to turn them down, right? That is, when you're not too busy drinking and getting thrown out of bars. You want to harp on _my _drinking, let's talk about yours. What, are you so high and mighty now that you're too good for a drink? The only thing you're good for is a profitable headline. You know who you are? A pirate. _The Captain, _ready to pillage and plunder and risk the image of his band. You have been a pain in my ass since we met. It's no wonder Milah didn't want you anymore… Who would?"

As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. But her pride, which had swelled thanks to the alcohol, wouldn't let her take it back. Her lips tightened as she watched his face take in everything she'd said. She waited for him to yell, scream, call her every name in the book. And she'd deserve every bit of it.

But if he was hurt, he didn't show it. His features were hardened, his face unreadable, his eyes darkened.

The media had an image for Killian that they'd hailed as truth long ago. It didn't matter if Killian had never been unfaithful to Milah. Or if he'd been kicked out of that bar she was referring to because of some twit who'd made a comment about David's ex-fiancé.

_The Captain _was a made up persona, but that didn't matter. Emma believed in _the Captain_, and that did matter.

He swallowed hard, then reached down and pulled something out of the side of his boot. He gripped the flask between his fingers, outlining the engravings with his thumb.

Then he did something that surprised Emma, who'd been holding her breath as she watched him. He smiled, a wide grin that didn't reach his still dark eyes. "You're right," he finally said, unscrewing the lid of the flask and smelling the aroma that wafted out. "To hell with good form. If I'm going to be a one handed _pirate_ with a drinking problem, I might as well start now." He threw his head back, taking a long gulp of his drink. He felt the smooth poison run down his throat. Then he licked his lips, and offered the flask to Emma. He rose a brow, "Rum?"

A top shelf bottle of whiskey, an empty flask, and an hour later, Emma and Killian were trying to catch their breath from laughing. They'd ended up walking around the entire festival camp sight, utterly lost as they searched for their tent. But the alcohol and total lack of knowing the layout of the festival didn't help them to get un-lost. But they didn't really care.

Their sour dispositions had disappeared for the time being, though underneath they were both boiling with a mess of emotions tailored to each of them.

Emma was feeling terrible for the mean things she'd said to Killian. She wanted to apologize to him, explain that she hadn't meant to be so spiteful. But doing so would require her to express her feelings, to talk about how much Neal's reappearance and betrayal had affected her, and how embarrassed she'd been by Killian's rejection of her. To become vulnerable.

And it would also force her to admit something that she was still trying so desperately hard to keep buried: that she cared for Killian. That he wasn't _so _bad to be around. That she enjoyed his company and was finding it difficult to imagine what it'd be like not to have him constantly at her side. That when his body in any way touched hers, that part of her skin grew so overly sensitive that she felt like she would break a part beneath him.

Killian was feeling equally terrible about the secret he was keeping from Emma: that he knew where to find the keys to their freedom. She'd quite clearly expressed that the only reason she was still putting up with him was because she was forced to. And he knew that the minute the cuffs came off, Emma would run as far away from him as she could. He was being selfish, he knew. But she already hated him, he reasoned, and what harm would a few more hours do anyway.

The guilt that riddled through them was masked by an inebriated need to pretend like nothing was wrong. To avoid anything serious that would pop the bubble of bliss they'd finally reached, and they were enjoying themselves in each other's company.

Finally.

While they were working on the bottle, they ended up crashing a campfire with people sitting around singing. Everyone was either drunk or high – or both. So when one of the girls thought she recognized Killian and the rock star thought they were going to get a bunch of unwanted attention, Emma swooped in to the rescue.

"Actually," she had said, slightly louder than she intended, "he gets that all the time. His name is Charles, and I'm… Leia! These handcuffs are just an act we're working on. Can we sit with you?"

Luckily, they'd bought it. And Killian gave her a thankful smile as they'd taken a seat. Eventually, Killian bummed a guitar off one of the guys and started strumming. At first he was just playing around, but even intoxicated, he was able to pluck out a recognizable tune. Emma started laughing, watching the pseudo-serious expression on his face as he dove into the song.

_"When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you," _Killian began, making his accent extra Scottish to fit with the song. Emma felt her head bob as he went into the next verse. "_When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you. If I get drunk," _he nudged Emma, who started to sing along with him because it was just all too appropriate, "_Well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you. And if I haver, hey I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you." _

By then, everyone had recognized the song. And they were clapping along and swaying in their seats, belting out the lyrics.

_"And I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more. Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles, to fall down at your door." _And then, in a drunken mess, everyone started screaming out the _ba-da-da-das_ until Emma and Killian could hardly breathe enough to go on.

Emma took the guitar from Killian, adjusting awkwardly as she tried to position her right hand in a way that didn't cause Killian to break his left. Eventually, he set his arm on her crossed legs. She tried to distract herself, despite the way Killian was watching her as she played around on the strings.

She wasn't as experienced as Killian with the guitar; the keys were her sanctuary of comfort. But she knew some, having been taught by Ruby. She played something soft, something simple. A soothing tune to background the murmurs of the others in the circle.

A smirk crept up on her lips as she started picking at a specific tune. She started to sing lightly, _"Like the stars on the sea, you reflect on to me. And like the horizon's peek, you're everything I seek. Because you're untouchable. Untouchable. Untouchable indeed." _

Killian chuckled, "That's one of mine."

"Mmhmm," Emma hummed, continuing to play.

"Emma Swan, do I suspect you to be a _fan _of Skull Rock?" he teased, trying to excuse the blush on his cheeks on the cool air and alcohol. Her high voice and acoustic cords had turned his deep slow song into something magical. Like it should have been played that way for years.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't get your hopes up, Jones."

"Such an old song; you must have been a fan for years. Did you have posters? Magazine cut outs? Tell me, did you or did you not paste a picture of my face on a teddy bear and practice snogging?"

Emma pushed against him, coughing out a disgusted scoff that contrasted with the grin on her face. "Don't be so gross."

"I thought you didn't like _boy bands_," Killian teased, raising his brow. "If I remember correctly, that was the first thing Red told us about you."

"I don't," Emma pressed, "except NSYNC."

Killian laughed, pushing back against her. "Come on, Swan. Humor me. And why such an old song? _Sailor's Heart_ was on our very first album."

She bit her lip, avoiding his gaze as she looked at the camp fire. Finally, after a long pause, she sighed. "My freshman year of college, I was partnered with this girl named Lily for chemistry lab. Very sweet girl, very smart; wouldn't have passed the class without her. One day, she came into class and she could not stop singing this song, this one line over and over again." Emma started strumming rather quickly as she dove into the upbeat tune, "_Like a curse behind your eyes, you couldn't recognize; the truth is me and truly me, it couldn't be disguised._" Killian chuckled again as she mocked his deep voice, singing another song from the same album. "It drove me crazy; absolutely insane. She would sing it, hum it, she could not stop. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I begged her to pull out her phone and listen to the song all the way through – they say that's how you get a song out of your head.

"So, she looked up the song and started playing it. That was the first time I heard your band," she said as she stole a glance his way. "Apparently, Lily had attended a concert that weekend that Skull Rock opened for. She fell in love with you guys; she would probably have a heart attack if she knew I was chained to you right now." Killian laughed, trying to picture a slightly younger version of Emma first listening to their band. It wouldn't be for another few years before they got their big hit, he remembered, counting back the dates in his head. "You guys had an interesting sound, and Lily let me borrow the CD she'd gotten at the concert. That was when I was learning how to play the keyboard and really getting into music, so I was always searching for new stuff to add to my muse. And, believe it or not… I liked it."

A wide, proud grin fell in Killian's face, truly surprised by Emma's words. He was about to comment when Emma held up her hand.

"_Before_," she said sternly. "By the time your third album came out, your sound had changed into something a little too pop for my taste. Though, I apparently was the only one because by then you guys were huge."

_Nothing but a sellout_, her earlier words rang through his thoughts, the deepness behind them now meaning more. He felt his face fall as he thought about it, taking a long drink out of their bottle.

She noticed his attitude shift and realized what he was thinking. This was when she thought he was going to bring it up, pop the bubble they'd created. But with another long gulp, he smiled as he offered her the bottle. "Wait till the blokes hear this."

When they were tired of sitting around the fire, they decided to try walking again. By then they'd finished the bottle entirely and were, once again, lost. But in their bliss they didn't care, and they continued to walk as they went back and forth with stories of their most embarrassing concert mishaps.

Emma kept her arm pressed against Killian's as they walked. Her laughing finally slowed down enough for her to talk after Killian finished a tale of tripping over a misplaced carpet during a ballad and falling straight into Victor's arms for a low dip Dirty Dancing style. She wiped away the tears as she took a deep breath. "I've still got that first song stuck in my head. _Tainted love_," she sang, Killian laughing beside her. "You know, you actually weren't as bad as I thought you'd be."

"Bloody hell of a compliment, Swan," he said in good humor. "They loved us up there. We were tredding on that Twitter site."

"_Trending_," Emma said between laughs as Killian rolled his eyes.

They passed an open field of grass, and to Killian it looked like the softest ground he'd ever laid eyes on. He pulled Emma along, and plopped down on his back. "Lay down with me, Swan. It helps keep the floor from spinning."

"The floor? Isn't it the room that's supposed to spin?"

"Well we aren't exactly in a room, now are we, love?" Killian pulled for her to join him, accidentally tugging too hard for her already unequal balance. She toppled over on top of him; he caught her before she hit the ground. They both broke out in a fit of giggles as he laid her on the ground beside him.

As their breathing slowed, they gazed up at the night sky above them. The dark background was peppered with thousands of bright stars; Killian felt like he could drown in them.

He felt Emma's breathing even out next to him, her arm pressed up against his. Their hands laid so painstakingly close together that they were both very much aware that just a flinch of their digits would complete the circuit.

Killian lifted the flask he'd been gripping on to with his right hand. He repeated his earlier movement, running his thumb across the images – something he did almost every time he looked at it.

Emma tore her eyes from the sky and looked over at him, watching him as he stared at his flask. She knew it was empty, and she smirked slightly when she thought about how he was probably wishing that it weren't. She looked up at his face, ready to tease him – when she saw the expression he was making as he followed his thumb.

He felt her eyes on him, and he knew he could have come up with a list of excuses for his unusual behavior. But something compelled him to tell her, to make her understand him. To share a piece of himself.

"My brother, Liam," he started, "he gave this to me on my 18th birthday."

He handed Emma the flask, and though she'd drunken out of it a dozen times in the last couple of hours, she'd never taken the time to actually look at it. The stainless steel was engraved with a circle, and inside was an old crown with three small suns underneath. She smiled when she felt over the suns; they reminded her of the flower she had tattooed on her wrist. Killian was watching her, ready to go on after she'd taken a long look.

"It's a family heirloom, passed down from farther back than I know. The design – the crown and the suns – are part of our family crest back in Ireland." Killian rolled over to his side slightly, moving his finger over the flask against her thumb. "The crown is a symbol of authority, a token of honor and morality. The suns," they moved their fingers over the three small suns, "mean glory and splendor. My brother used to say that it was a reminder to uphold two qualities a Jones always needed: good form and a light heart."

Emma smiled, watching his fingers move against her own. She shifted slightly to face him. "Your brother sounds like a great guy."

"The best," Killian replied softly, an almost sad smile pulling at his cheeks. "If it wasn't for him, Skull Rock would have never been started."

Emma's brow creased, "Really?"

"Aye. It's sort of a long story," he said with a shrug. "It's not one many people know."

"Will you tell me?" Emma asked cautiously. "If you want to, that is."

Killian met her eyes. Not many people knew the true origin of the Skull Rock roots. The tabloids knew a condensed version: five old friends get together and start a band. But there was a bit of history, and Killian swallowed as he smiled and dove in. Emma wanted to know, and he hadn't been able to resist her requests yet.

"My brother and I lived together on a marina right outside of Kensington in England. It was just the two of us; my mother died right after she had me, and my father left us when I was a lad. Liam was seventeen, I twelve; he took care of me." He felt Emma shift closer, turning on her side to face him as she listened. He swallowed, then went on. "He taught me how to play the guitar after my father left. And on nights when everything was just too much for me, he'd pull out the instruments and start singing an old song mum used to sing to him. And eventually, I'd grab my guitar and start to strum with him.

"I was fifteen when I met Dave," Killian went on, smiling warmly as he thought of his best friend. "Liam was working as an intern for this big law firm, Spencer and Herman. I was brought along to one of the fancy events they were holding, I still don't remember what the bloody uptight wankers were celebrating. I hated going to those things, but Liam said I needed the experience, to be _cultured_ he said," Killian shook his head, laughing at the memory. "I met David when I was trying to find somewhere to hide; he was doing the same thing. It turns out he was the son of one of the attorneys, George Spencer, and I asked why I'd never seen him at one of those things before. Then he told me his story. Unbeknownst to David, he had a twin and they were both adopted into separate families."

Emma's mouth dropped, totally engrossed in Killian's story. He chuckled at her reaction, nodding as if to confirm her disbelief.

"I know, I was shocked too when he told me. He was sent to Maine in the States, and his brother was sent to England. A rare occurrence, they'd explained to him, a glitch in the system. Anyway, a year prior, David's mother passed away; his father died when he was younger. Instead of going back into the system, they sent him to the family who had adopted his brother, James. David hated it with George and James, said they were a bunch of stuck up snobs and he missed his old simple life. After that, we invited him over to our humble abode quite often. He practically lived with us that summer, and then when he turned seventeen he really did live with us."

"His father didn't care?" Emma asked.

Killian sighed, "George didn't care much for David. It was James who was the prize child, the one destined for greatness. He hardly gave David the time of day."

He noticed Emma's expression change, a flash of understanding and pain behind her eyes. He wanted to reach out, to ask what memory plagued her. But he knew his Swan, and knew the minute he reached out, she would retreat. He had to wait.

So instead, he went on with his story. "David knew how to play the drums, having learned in school and encouraged by his departed mother. Eventually, we invited him into our feel good jams, as Liam liked to call them. He taught us some songs his mother used to sing to him. It brought us all closer together. We ended up writing some stuff of our own, even Liam wrote a few harmonies. It was my brother who encouraged us to start a band."

Killian paused here, his voice catching as he turned over on his back. He couldn't look at her as he went on. He had to look up at the stars – up at the heavens.

Up at Liam.

He swallowed hard, and as hard as he tried, he felt his eyes begin to dampen.

When he felt gravity pull at the puddle of water, spilling over until the single tear ran down the side of his face – he felt Emma tangle her fingers into his. Surprisingly, the intimate touch was enough to encourage him to continue.

"It was right after my eighteenth birthday. By then he was working for Spencer and Herman, sort of still a low man in the company. I hated George and Mitchell; they were untrustworthy and skeevy. Liam didn't see it, wouldn't listen when David and I tried to tell him. He'd been with the company for a long time, and the man was loyal to a fault.

"One night, he called to say he had to work late. A lot of attorney's hire their own private detectives when they're working on a case. But it was something small, a little surveillance that they didn't want to pay the regular man to do, so they called on Liam. He was scouting out at this pub, waiting to see if this bloke did anything to prove that his back hadn't really been thrown out. It was a bad part of town; there'd been reported shootings earlier that week in the area." He took a deep breath, his voice growing shaky as he retold the eyewitness accounts he'd been told. "There was an altercation in the alleyway next to where he'd parked. He heard her scream out for help, saw the man chase her into the darkness. He got out and pulled the creep off of the woman. She got away, but by then two other men showed up. By the times the cops got there, he had three stab wounds in his stomach. He died before they could get him to the hospital. I didn't get to say goodbye."

He closed his eyes, pushing back the tears like he'd done so many times. Over the last nine years, Killian had gotten pretty good at bringing up his brother without getting too upset. David had been a huge support during that next year, helping him through the funeral and will and putting his life back together. They sold the house, got an apartment together while they went to college. That's where they'd met Robin and Victor, officially starting the band. A little bit later Will joined, and they were complete.

They had become his new family, the only family he had left. That's why he cared for them so much and why he relied on them. Even after the band started to take off, there'd be moments where he'd relapse. They'd been there to help him through it, and then again with Milah.

Killian felt Emma squeeze his hand, causing him to open his eyes and turn his head toward her. He cleared his throat, giving her a brave smile that was more for him than her.

She didn't do what people normally did when he told them about his brother – not that he'd told that many people to start with. She didn't apologize, tell him how sorry or sad she was for him. She didn't say anything, just reminded him that she was there for him, and let a comfortable silence cradle them until Killian cleared his throat.

"Shall we continue walking?" he asked, turning his head to face her.

Emma shrugged, "I'm still not very tired."

"Aye, neither am I. But maybe we can find some more generous people to share a campfire with, maybe some music."

Emma nodded, and they began to stand up. In the process, Killian released Emma's hand, a cold emptiness replacing it.

They continued to walk before they found an open tent filled with people sitting around a couple playing a guitar and singing. The woman, a bright red head, was singing a lovely song next to a dark haired man strumming a guitar. Emma and Killian were invited to come in and sit.

In the crowded tent, they sat right up against each other, their hands resting together. Killian desperately wanted to reach out and take her hand in his again, but feared he missed his chance when he'd released it before.

Emma hummed pleasantly when the man started strumming the next song, recognizing the words right away. "I love this song," she whispered to Killian as she began to sway along.

_"I heard there was a secret cord, that David played and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music, do you? Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth; the minor fall and the major lift. The baffled king composing hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelu-huuu-hujah." _

"it's a beautiful song," Killian whispered back, his breath against her ear as he leaned toward her.

They sat and listened to the soothing song, and half way through Killian reached over the half an inch to take Emma's hand in his. She took it, but kept her eyes forward as she continued to listen.

_"Maybe there's a god above, but all you've ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya. It's not a cry you hear at night, it's not somebody who's seen the light. It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah." _

Emma leaned to her right, resting her head against Killian's shoulder. He froze, unsure what provoked such a move, but nervous that he would scare her away if he brought attention to it. So he continued to listen as he held her hand and she kept her head on his shoulder.

She didn't want him to see the tears that had built behind her eyes, so she tried to hide her face from his view and prayed that he couldn't feel the wet spot on his shirt.

_"I did my best but it wasn't much. I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch. I told the truth, didn't come all this way to fool you. And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of Song. With nothing on my lips but hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelu-huuu-hujah."_

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered, her head still on his shoulder, "for what I said earlier."

Killian inhaled sharply. "Don't worry about it, Swan."

"Why won't you let me apologize? It's not like it's easy for me."

"Because," Killian said sharply, "you don't have to."

Emma rose her head to look at him, her brow creased, "You are so infuriating, Jones."

They were growing louder than a whisper, and the people around them were starting to send dirty looks their way. So Killian stood up, forcing Emma to stand with him, and left the tent to walk out into the cool early air.

"Dammit, Jones," Emma said, frustrated as she followed him. He wouldn't acknowledge her, so she decided to do something about it. Something childish.

She reached down and grabbed a hand full of mud, wet from the fog that was rolling in with the dawn – and threw it at him.

A thick, wet thud as it stuck to the back of his neck and shoulder blade before it fell to the ground. He finally stopped, reaching behind him as he felt the wet spot on his back.

He spun around on her, a look of both confusion and shock. "Mud? Really, Swan?"

"Well, if you would have just listened to me." She bent down and scooped up another handful of mud, putting it in his own hand. "Here, throw it back at me."

Killian scoffed. "I'm not going to throw mud at you."

"Why, because I'm a girl? I should have known you'd be old school. Now are you going to let me apolo–"

Another wet thud, the mud hitting against her chest, splattering across her neck. Her mouth dropped at the sudden action.

"I just didn't want to get my vest dirty," he said with a rise of his brow. He shook his head, taking a deep breath before he went on. "The only reason you're apologizing is because I told you some personal information that made you feel sorry for me. Well forget it, lass. Save your pity party for someone who wants it."

She crossed her arms, partly out of anger and partly to warm herself up. Doing so yanked him a step closer to her. She was insulted that he disregarded her attempt to apologize, to fix everything. She swallowed her initial anger and tried again. "It's not pity. It's me trying to –" he took a step closer to her, his eyes searching hers, trying to understand. But it was too much for Emma; she wasn't ready to face her emotions head on the way Killian did. She was scared, so she took a step back, "To be your friend."

Killian's eyes dropped, a frustrated smile on his unhappy lips as he shook his head. "To be a friend, Swan, you have to open up. Let people in."

She didn't respond, didn't know how. When her head dropped downward, breaking their contact, she heard him sigh. He turned around and began to walk away from her, tugging at her arm slightly as she followed. "Jones," she said, trying to get him to stop. She watched him shake his head, continuing forward. "_Killian_."

He stopped suddenly, causing her to run into him and slip on the mud, losing her balance. With a third wet thud, she fell to the ground, pulling Killian down with her.

Emma sat in the mud, a small whine escaping her as she groaned loudly and finally surrendered. "I didn't mean what I said earlier. You were right – I was upset about Neal and I took it out on you."

Killian shifted to face her, wiping the mud off his face. He didn't say anything, ready for her to continue. And suddenly, she wished he was still facing away. The way his eyes bore into hers was shaking her confidence. But as she looked harder, she saw his eyes soften, and it was enough to motivate her to go on.

"I didn't have a family, okay? You want a sob story – I'll give you one. My parents left me on the side of the road when I was a baby. I grew up hopping from one foster home to the next, always running away from places that didn't want me to begin with. When I was fifteen, I finally landed in a home with a woman who actually cared. If it hadn't been for her, I would have never graduated from high school or make the grades to get me into college. But she was sick, cancer. She died right before graduation. I was alone – again – for a year. When I was paired with Mary Margaret and Ruby for roommates, everything started being okay again.

"That's when I met Neal. He was older, friend of a fraternity brother at a party Ruby dragged me to. Suddenly, I seemed to have everything. We were starting the band, finding our sound. I had best friends; a boyfriend. I even had somewhere warm and inviting to go on the holidays. And then things got… difficult. I was spending too much time on the band and my studies, Neal was feeling neglected. He didn't want to talk about the music, what I was doing. He didn't want to come to our shows. Eventually, it became too much. He ended things; he left me with a pile of bitter words and broken promises. I was… heartbroken, and I almost gave up on the band. If it hadn't been for the girls, I would have."

Killian watched her as she spoke. Every now and then she would look up at him, but most of the time she kept her eyes down at her hands.

When she finally met his eyes again, hers were watery. She cleared her throat, trying to push the tears back to no avail, "I'm worried it's all been for nothing. That the Fairest won't ever get farther than a few festivals and sleezy clubs. I stupidly let Neal back into my life and once again was betrayed. I made a fool out of myself in front of you, and then hurt you to save my own pride." More tears fell down her cheeks as she tried to wipe them away. She lifted her muddy arms, shaking a bit off as a sob escaping her lungs, "And now I'm covered in mud."

Killian wasted no time; he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him for a hug. She dug her head into his chest, feeling both overwhelmed and ridiculous for crying so much. All of her attempts to keep from being emotional and vulnerable were finally catching up with her, and she couldn't stop it.

"It's all right," Killian soothed, kissing her on the side of her head as he ran his hand against the back of her hair. They sat there for a few moments before he shifted her, wrapping his arms around her so he could lift her up in a carrying position, careful not to get the handcuffs tangled.

Emma didn't know where he was taking her, but she didn't care. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe, and she was willing to let him take her wherever.

"You smell like a girl," she said facetiously as her eyes finally dried.

He chuckled, smiling down at her as he continued to walk. "And you are stunning, Swan."

* * *

**"Colinodonewithyou: Oh please! Sweetheart dont feel rude at all and no need to apologize. I ADORE YOUR VERSION BETTER. Im actually beyond happy you wrote the fic because with the way my muse is going, I was never going to get this story done, so thatnk YOU for taking the time to write this beautiful story :) Its also great to know other people know about this beautiful movie. Brilliant chapter, I cant wait for the next one :)" Thank you so much! I really was worried about upsetting people lol. But your encouraging words are very sweet! I just hope I don't let you or anyone else down lol. **

**"McCaptain: You had me at The Beatles! Now to enjoy the story..." I'm glad the Beatles were well received! Lol**

**"ampersande: Please please please dont make us wait too long for the next chapter! I'm so in love with this story!" I'm sorry it took me so long to update! There should be only one more chapter after this one, so it probably won't take me as long to get up the next chapter! **

**"CaptainSwan16211: PLEASE WRITE MORE! loving every second of this :)" I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :) **

**"kwilson898: This story keeps getting better! The relationship development between Killian and Emma is perfect! I can't wait to see where else you take this!" I hope you enjoy where the story is going with this last chapter! :)**

**"Nenski: Amazing story! And ugh, I hope Neal is gone for good. What a jerk! Can't wait for the next update!" 90% sure Neal won't be making another appearance in this story; I think his time is over lol. **

**"buffybabe42" I'll let you in on a little secret: I tend to lean a little more towards the Stones as well lol. Thank you for sharing your kind words and thoughts with me, I loved reading them! I hope there are some parts in this chapter that you'll enjoy as well! :) **

**"Rockinwiz: Omg this is INCREDIBLE! Please take all the time you need to update just don't forget to update!" Oh, I would never forget! What ends up happening is I'll write a little bit at a time, or write up detailed outlines, but take long breaks in between writing. Luckily I was able to get in the zone this last week with this story and finally update it! And thank you! :)**

**"thegeniusnextdoor: Absolutely love this, such a great story!" Thank you so much! :) **

**"bbjorgman: I had never seen this movie before but I got halfway through the second chapter and decided I HAD to watch it (it was awesome!) and now it's just made me love this fic even more!" I'm glad that you like it and it made you watch the movie lol. This chapter sort of detours from the movie some, only because I'm a person who loves back story lol. I hope that people still like it!**

**"Guest: Totally agree,They are perfect for this AU :) I loved this chapter even more. Great job!" Thank you so much! :) **

**"7Amers: I really like this story so far, can't wait to see what happens next!" I hope you like this chapter as well! Lol and thank you! **

**"Nothing-Everything-Something" Robin does still have the key, but I think he's a little busy with _someone else_ this night lol. And the answers to your questions (which are totally acceptable ones and not over thinking at all) will be resolved in the next chapter! **

**"Guest: Love this! It made me think of the music video to "Stuck" by Lauren Pritchard, it's kinda funny because the actor for Will Scarlet is in the video." Lol I'll have to check it out! **

**"charmiaj: (ch1) Loved the first chapter!" "(ch2) What movie is this? Can't believe i haven't seen it yet. Loving this by the way!" I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! It's Tonight You're Mine (or You Instead in the UK). It's an indie movie that I as well had never heard of and probably would still have never heard of had I not been channel surfing one very late night and found it on some obscure channel that I never watch lol. **

**"tehgreeneyes: I'm so happy I found your story, I absolutely love it. Haven't seen the movie and I'm glad I haven't because I want to find out what happens by reading the fic. Just love Emma/Killian dynamic and how they went from hating each other to tolerating each other to something more. Can't wait to read the next chapter." Thank you! I'm glad that you like the story so far! :) **

**"Lucinda2323" The answer to whether Emma will find out about the keys will definitely be answered next chapter! And I'm glad people picked up on the Outlaw Queen hints lol. There may be more mentioned in the next chapter... maybe ;) spoilers! **

**"diariesofthepast1899: I love this Story so far, and I loved the movie! can't wait to read more. :)" I hope people who have seen the movie aren't too upset by the slight differences I made with this chapter lol. But thank you! :) I'm glad you're liking it! **

**"AshTMI17: I really love this story. Please update!" Thank you! :) **


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